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VOICES ti\ HOLI 




FROM THE 



Evangelical 




ATI OH. 



COMPILED BY* 



REV. Kl BOWMAN, 



And they overcame him by the blood of the 
Lamb, and by the word of their testimony. 
-Rep, 12, 11. 



PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR 



CNOV 11 i8S2^ y 



Publishing House of the Ev. Association, 



LAUEB & YOST, Agents, 
CLEVELAND, O. 

1882. 



irt 






Copyrighted, 1882, by H. J. Bowman. 
(Right of translation reserved.) 



The Library 
of Congress 



WASHINGTON 



«* 



PREFACE. 



Here is another new book for the Christian public. It 
is not a connected discussion of the subject of which it 
treats, and j r et the reader will find its theme extensively- 
discussed in a variety of ways, by the different authors 
whose voices here speak. Aside from the preface, the 
introduction, and the necessary links with which the 
different divisions and subjects have been connected, 
nothing has been expressly written for this book except 
a few experiences. 

My object in making a book of this kind was to show 
what the views of the Evangelical Association are, as 
held and publicly expressed by our leading men, 
through all the history of our Church, and I am glad to 
know that a great deal more has been written and pub- 
lished among us in defence of holiness as a personal ex- 
perience than could possibly be compressed within the 
limits of this volume. 

In copying or quoting from these numerous writers, 
I have been careful to let them express their views in 
their own language. The translations from the German, 
of which I have made quite a number, may seem rather 
literal because of this purpose. 

These Voices on Holiness were fraught with bless- 
ings to those who heard or read them as originally 
made public from the pulpit and by the press, and it is 
intended that, by means of this reproduction of them, 
they shall live on to encourage others to walk in the 
King's highway of holiness. 

in 



IV PREFACE. 

I don't expect every reader to approve of all that is 
here written, but that is no concern of mine. Having 
had the most satisfactory assurance, all along, of God's 
approval, I am content to submit to the judgment and 
criticisms of men. 

Should, however, the reader discover any serious de- 
fects, let it be remembered that the entire work of this 
compilation was done in the space of about one hun- 
dred days, the compiler having at the same time per- 
formed all his ordinary duties of editing the Living 
Epistle, and the English Sunday-school periodicals of 
his Church. 

With no pretensions but that of a plain, simple state- 
ment of (rod's truth, this humble volume is sent forth 
to bless its readers, and to glorify our exalted Redeemer. 

Cleveland, 0., October 21, 1882. H. J. B. 



INTRODUCTION. 



It was a happy thought that induced Rev. H. J. 
Bowman to compile the "Voices on Holiness " from the 
Evangelical Association, and thus unite them into one 
melodious harmony and marshal them before his read- 
ers in a grand chorus, rehearsing most acceptably a 
glorious theme. Some of these "Voices " were heard 
many years ago, but their authors " have gone before to 
the other shore," and their pens are at rest, and, hence, 
the present rising generation has been almost entirely 
deprived of their utterances. But now comes this book, 
and presents these precious treasures to the young, as 
well as the older members of the Evangelical Associa- 
tion, for their benefit and appreciation. 

•Voices on Holiness" will be very valuable as a 
repertory and a book of reference, concerning what 
Evangelical authorities have said on the vital doctrine 
of holiness. It will, therefore, also be a valuable addi- 
tion to the library of every preacher in this Church, 
and of every family in the Connection ; for. certainly, 
they all ought to acquaint themselves with what the 
Church says, as well as what the Bible teaches, on this 
subject. 

This book shows clearly that the fathers and author- 
ities of the Evangelical Association laid great stress 
upon the doctrine and realization of entire sanetifica- 
tion. They were not satisfied with the beginnings of 
salvation, so as to rest' in them; they insisted that 



VI INTRODUCTION. 

believers, and preachers especially, should "goon unto 
perfection" ! Preaching Christ, they taught emphat- 
ically that he is made unto us sanctification as well as 
wisdom, righteousness, and redemption, and in this they 
proved themselves excellent practical theologians. 
And their work was, also in this respect, abundantly 
owned and blessed by the Great Master. 

The attentive reader of this volume will find that 
sanctification or holiness is viewed chiefly in its experi- 
mental and practical aspects, or in other words as 
inward and outward and hence personal holiness. This 
is highly Scriptural. Neither the Bible nor our Church 
recognizes an antinomian holiness, that consists in 
theory and formal profession only while the person 
remains unholy ; nor do they teach that we are holy in 
Christ by construction, or a sort of an "imputation," 
while impurfc in ourselves; but they insist that tve 
should be holy. " Be ye holy, for I am holy" says the 
Holy One of Israel. And this holiness pertains to "all 
the heart," and " all manner of conversation," — (" living " 
says the Eevision) in a word to the whole inward and 
outward life. 

But while insisting earnestly on subjective, practical 
holiness we must ever remember that all true holiness 
must and can only come by faith from the objective 
source : the glorified Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 
As branches are fully and uninterruptedly united with 
the vine, and are thus filled with life and sap which 
produces abundant fruit, so we must be united spir- 
itually with the "True Vine." Thus abiding in Him, 
hew ill abide in us, and we shall bring forth much 
fruit to the glory of the Father (John 15). Then 



INTRODUCTION. VII 

" Christ is our life," " Christ in us the hope of glory." 
He then keeps pure and invigorates the inner man, 
from which results, certainly, an outward holy life. 
This prevents, on the one hand, a mere outward 
pharisaic sanctimoniousness, and, on the other hand, 
one-sided, selfish fanaticism. Christ before us, as the 
pattern, and Christ in us. as the life and controlling 
power, will be a perfect regulator, and' make holiness 
entire and symmetrical. — And to Him will be given all 
the glory in our life and confession. " That according 
as it is written : He that glorieth, let him glory in the 
Lord." 

"A?id the very God of peace sanctify you wholly ; and 1 
pray God your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved 
blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faith- 
ful is he that collet h you who also will do it." (2 Thess. 
5. 23, 24.) 

Naperville, III., Oct. 10, 1882. R. Y. 



CONTENTS. 



L THE SUBJECT PRESENTED. 

PAGE. 

The Voice of God, -------- 3 

XL THE YOICE OF THE CHURCH, 

The Doctrine Stated. — Discipline, ----- 5 

The General Conference of 1867, ----- 10 

History and Teaching of the Article on Holiness. — Yeakel, 13 
Further Statements and Directions. — Discipline, - - 37 
A Prayer for Infant Sanctification. — Discipline, 38 

The Doctrine of the Evangelical Association. — Usher, - 42 
The New Catechism. — Esher, ----- 44 

Our Hymn-Book Theology on Holiness, - - - - 47 

Albright, Walter and Miller, ------ 51 

Unfaithful Ministers Cannot Be Sanctified. — Miller, - - 54 
The grace of Sanctification Defined. — Miller, 55 

Rev. John Walter, - 59 

Rev. John Dreisbach, 63 

Rev. Henry Fisher, - 66 

Holiness our Chief Topic. — Fisher, - 67 

Hoiiuess Must be Sought. — Fisher, 68 

Why Is Holiness not more Generally Prevailing? — Fisher, 73 

Bishop Seybert's Voice. - - 78 

A Sermon on Holiness. — Seybert, ----- 82 

Bishop Joseph Long, 86 

Rev. S. G. Rhoads, -------- 93 

What Is Sanctification ? — Rhoads, 93 

Rev. W. W. Or wig, - 98 

Instructions to Seekers of Entire Sanctification. — Orwig, ICO 
Justification. Regeneration and Sanctification. — Orwig, 105 

Rev. Charles Hammer, - - 107 

Holiness Half a Century Ago. — Hammer, - 109 

Errors and Their Effects.— Hammer, 112 

The New Convert's First Duty. — Hammer, - - -113 
How Entire Sanctification is Obtained. — Hammer, - 114 

Premature Professions. — Hammer, 115 

Rev. Jacob Schnerr, 117 

IX 



CONTENTS. 



III. THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 

Sanctitication — Its Condition. — Esher, .... \2\ 
Consecration and Faith. — Esher, - . - 123 

Experimental and Practical Holiness, — Yeakel, - - 124 
How to Get Believers Sanctified. — Yeakel, 128 

Holiness Begun, - - 129 

Sin in Believers. — Tonne/, ]36 

Importance of Perfect Purity. — Young, - 142 

" Gradual and Instantaneous." — Young, - 147 

Purity and MaturHy. — Young, - - - - - - 151 

Professing Holiness, - . - - - - . 154 

Two Kinds of Profession. — Yeakel, 164 

The "Holy Ones."— T. Bowman, - - . - 166 

Going on to Perfection. — T. Bowman, - - - - -170 

Entire Sanctification. — Lauer, 174 

No Heaven Without Holiness. — //. B. Hartzler, - - 179 
Our Sanctification Personal. — Wiest, - 181 

When we may be Sanctified. — Wiest, - - - - 183 

The Conditions of Our Entire Sanctification.— Wies t, - 184 
Holiness A Bible Doctrine. — /. Yeakel,, - - 185 

The "Holiness Movement,"— R. Yeakel 190 

The " Holiness Movement."— Wiest, - - - - - 205 
The "Holiness Movement."— Dubs, - - - - 207 
The " Holiness Movement." — 1\ Bowman, - - - 208 

The Voice of the Bishops in 1879, - - - - - 210 
The Editor of the Evangelical Magazine, - - - - 211 

IT. THE VOICE OF TESTIMONY. 

Experience of Rev. J. P. Leib, 215 

" Savilla Kring, 216 

Rev. J. Bowersox, - - - - - 226 
Rev. H. J. Bowman, ----- 230 

" W. H. Bucks, 243 

" H. F. Kletzing, - - ... 243 

" M. Krueger, 246 

" S. Dickover, - - - - - 248 
Mrs. Lizzie Yetley, - - - - - 251 

CONCLUSION, ..-----.. 253 



VOICES ON HOLINESS. 



THE SUBJECT PRESENTED. 

*T^HERE came a time in the historj^ of the Christian 
*• religion, when the Church and the world were very 
much alike, — not because the Church had converted 
the world, but because she had compromised with 
it. The spirit of worldliness prevailed to an alarming 
extent throughout the various religious denomina- 
tions. There was but little religious power or real 
Christian activity ; and genuine conversions, followed 
with holy living, were rare. The fewest of those that 
constituted the membership of the Churches lived a life 
of separation from the world, and of Scriptural cross- 
bearing. Christian testimony was dying out, — espe- 
cially that bold witnessing for Christ which was for- 
merly heard from the lips of those upon whom the 
Holy Ghost had come. The blessed truths of the 
Gospel were mostly held in theory only, and experience 
was quite unpopular,—-especially the experience of any 
very high degree of spiritual life. 

Holiness, the " Central Idea of Christianity," was 
-almost entirely ignored as an actual personal expe- 
1 



Z VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

rience, and " religious culture " was substituted for a 
vigorous Gospel faith, and a well-defined Christian 
experience. 

As a result there was but little " fruit unto holi- 
ness," and much unholy ambition, and self-seeking, 
both among the ministry and the laity. 

In their rivalry for the finest and most fashionable 
church buildings, and the most cultured and popular 
ministry, the Churches were fast losing sight of the 
Crucified One, and of the perishing poor to whom the 
dospel was ordained to be preached. 

Then there came a time, when great efforts were 
made to bring about a revival of Primitive Christian- 
ity. The Churches began to wake up, and in course of 
a few years there was great commotion in many places 
among the believers in Christ. 

From many pulpits came appeals to the Church to 
awake, and put on her strength and her beautiful gar- 
ments — to arise to a "higher life" — to " go on to 
perfection" — to be " wholly sanctified." — From the 
prayer and class-room went forth exhortations to 
believers to seek full salvation. From pulpit and pew 
<»ame the voice of testimony, crying : " The blood 
oleanseth us from all sin." 

Through the press these doctrines, exhortations, and 
testimonies were scattered broadcast over the land, and 
special meetings sprang up all over the country to con- 
sider these matters, and get the people to fall in line 
and strive for the experience of entire sanctification, 
and the " promotion of Scriptural holiness." 

This aggressive movement created a stir in the 
valley of dry bones, — the worldly, formal, dead 



THE SUBJECT PRESENTED. 3 

Churches — and great fears were expressed that the 
agitators of the holiness question would spread fanat- 
icism, and " split the Church." Then I became anx- 
ious to hear some voice that would give " a certain 
sound" on this great theme — a voice whose authority 
all would be bound to respect. 

So I turned to the Bible for the voice of God, and 
instantly my ear caught such utterances as these : 
"Be ye holy; for I am holy." 1 Pet. 1. 16.— "This 
is the will of God, even your sanctification." 1 Thess. 
4. 3. — " Christ loved the Church, and gave himself for 
it ; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the 
washing of water by the word, that he might present it 
to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or 
wrinkle, or any such thing ; but that it should be holy 
and without blemish." Eph. 5. 25-27. — " Be ye there- 
fore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is 
perfect." Matt. 5. 48. — " Therefore, leaving the principles 
of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection." 
Heb. 6. 1. — " Then will I sprinkle clean water upon 
you, and ye shall be clean : from all your filthiness, and 
from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart 
also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within 
you ; and I will take away the stony heart out of your 
flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause 
you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my 
judgments, and do them." Ezek. 36. 25-27. — "Having 
therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse 
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, 
perfecting holiness in the fear of God." 2 Cor. 7. 1. 
" If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we 
have fellowship one with another, and the blood of 



4 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. M 
1 John 1. 7. — "And the very God of peace sanctify you 
wholly ; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and 
body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, 
who also will do it." 1 Thess. 5. 23, 24.— " But the God 
of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory 
by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, 
make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you." 1 
Pet. 5. 10. — "But ye shall receive power, after that 
the Holy Ghost is come upon you ; and ye shall be wit- 
nesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea r 
and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the 
earth."Acts 1. 8. 

Thus the voice of inspiration kept pouring volumes 
of thought into my mind about holiness, which 
plainly showed me that it was both the duty and the 
privilege of every believer to be made pure from all 
moral defilement, perfect in love, full of the Spirit, and 
a living witness to the fullness of the blessings of the 
Gospel of Christ. 



THE VOICE OP THE CHURCH. 



THE VOICE OP THE CHURCH. 

TJ AVING- heard the voice of God, I next turned to 
■* *• hear how this great Bible subject was presented 
through the voice of the Church. 

THE DOCTRINE STATED. 

Presently I heard a statement, which came from her 
Book of Discipline. And, from the many voices here 
joined in unison, from several generations past, as well 
as from the present, it seemed to be given with indis- 
putable authority. And these are the things that I 
heard : — 

THE DOCTRINE OF CHRISTIAN PERFECTION. 

JIOW WE MAY ATTAIN TO TRUE HOLINESS OF HEART EVEN IN THIS LIFE. 

The Lord Jesus expressly says, Matt. 5. 48, Be ye 
therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven 
is perfect. And the Apostle Paul exhorts, 1 Thess. 5, 
16-18, Rejoice evermore ; pray without ceasing ; in every- 
thing give thanks ; for this is the will of God in Christ 
Jesus concerning you. 

He that would fully comply with these exhortations 
at all times, must be wholly resigned to the will of 
Ood ; consequently all self-w T ill and selfishness must be 
perfectly subdued ; he must bear everything that may 
befall him, as from the hand of the Lord, or he cannot 
meet every adversity with acquiescence and resigna- 
tion, much less with gratitude. He must stand upon 
■his guard so firmly and immovably that he can parry, 



6 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

and gain the victory over any temptation the moment 
that it may present itself, without yielding more or 
less, either voluntarily or negligently, as it does some- 
times happen with weak Christians. If his rest, peace > 
and joy in God, are no more interrupted by any sucli 
vicissitudes or occurrences, he must indeed be firmly 
rooted and grounded in God ; and of a truth, he must 
love God with all his heart, with all his mind, and 
with all his strength ; sin has, as it were, lost all its 
power against such a one, he being surrounded by the 
love of God, as with a wall of fire. The flesh, the 
world, and Satan, are under his feet, and he rules over 
his enemies, yet in watchfulness. 

This is the state which the Evangelical Association 
understands by Christian Perfection. 

That such a state is attainable, even in this life, is 
very evident, for Christ and all his apostles exhort 
thereto ; yea, from this we learn that it is every Chris- 
tian's bounden duty to strive thereafter. And how 
can he be a Christian, who does not desire to submit 
wholly to God, and to love him in truth, with all his 
heart, with all his soul, and with all his strength ? 

By experience we are fully persuaded that such a 
state is attainable, and has been attained by many, 
who have happily persevered therein for many years, 
even to the end of their days. Many others had 
attained it, but for want of watchfulness lost it 
again. This we also have learned by sad expe- 
rience. But experience has likewise taught that 
this blessed state, after it has been lost through 
negligence, may again be attained by the grace or 
God, and that a person may finally, after having been 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 7 

as a reed shaken by the wind, become as a firm and 
immovable pillar in the temple of God. 

With many others this work has never come to a 
perfect clearness ; a great degree of grace was indeed 
visible, yet there w r ere also infirmities discernible at 
the same time, w T hich could not be properly distin- 
guished by those who look upon externals only, 
whether they were but involuntary, natural infirmities, 
or slighter voluntary deviations and overcomings of 
sin. 

Experience has moreover taught that, ordinarily, 
this state of Christian perfection is attained gradually, 
by an upright course of life in following the Lamb ; 
however, during this gradation, this work is perfected 
in the soul, sooner or later, by a sudden and powerful 
influence of grace and outpouring of the Divine 
Spirit. Those who have actually experienced it 
describe this effusion of the divine life as being 
similar to the grace of justification, yet far exceeding 
the same. This grace is called sanctification. 

This sanctification is the basis of Christian per- 
fection. By it God writes his law of love with 
quickening power into the heart, according to his 
precious and faithful promises. 

Notwithstanding, as all created beings will ever 
remain finite and circumscribed, and, according to the 
nature thereof, are forever less than God himself ; the 
most perfect man (or angel) will ever be inferior to 
God, though he become a partaker of the Divine 
nature by justification, and through sanctification be 
much more assimilated to the Divine Being : therefore 
he may, after having attained to this degree of sancti- 



8 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

fication, grow and increase yet more and more in grace, 
and proceed from one degree of glory to another. 

And where this progression should cease cannot be 
conceived ; rather may we suppose a continual advance- 
ment and progression to all eternity. Nevertheless, 
the happiest spirit will ever remain greatly inferior to 
God himself. 

It is further to be considered here, that sanctifying 
grace does not take away the natural infirmities of 
man, yea, it does not even cover them ; but, on the 
other hand, it sometimes rather manifests and exposes 
them. Such are, a weakly and morbid body, weakness 
of understanding, of memory, of judgment, and of the 
mind. Therefore such an individual may be imposed 
upon by false appearances, and through a misdirected 
judgment think more highly or derogativety of other 
persons than they really deserve. He may be indis- 
tinct, yea, confused in expression ; give unfit advice ; 
and through various kinds of such weaknesses, which 
God never imputes as sins, he may render himself 
ridiculous before a witty world. Such a one should, 
therefore, never refuse to receive instruction and good 
counsel from others who do not possess the same 
degree of grace with him, as far as he sees that God 
designs to instruct him in this wa} T . 

This much has been deemed necessary to be stated 
here, to prevent all misunderstanding of the matter, 
and to enable the reader to see this doctrine in a clear 
light, and to form just conceptions thereof. Where- 
upon the Evangelical Association further declares : 

Let us, then, seriously and explicitly admonish all 
believers, ardently to strive for Christian perfec- 



THE VOICE OF TH'E CHURCH. 9 

tion. And in order that we may teach uniformly on 
this point, let us decide, once for all, whether we shall 
continue or give up this doctrine. We are unanimous 
to defend and maintain it ; understanding by it noth- 
ing else than a total deliverance from all sin in the 
proper sense of the word, by means of the love of 
God being shed abroad in the heart influencing and 
actuating the same. 

Some indeed say : " This cannot be attained, till we 
have passed through purgatoiy." Others say : " No, 
this is accomplished at the moment when body and 
soul are separated." Again, others say : " We can 
attain this before we die, one minute afterward is too 
late." But we are unanimous that we may be re- 
deemed from all sin long before we die ; that is, from 
all evil affections and desires. So this point remains 
settled. 

The next inquiry is : Is this happy change wrought 
gradually or instantaneously ? Both take place. Shall 
we, then, insist upon one as well as the other, in our 
preaching ? We must certainly insist upon a gradual 
change, and this zealously and continually. And have 
we not equally as good reasons to insist upon an 
instantaneous change, wrought by the effusion of grace 
in an instant ? If we can expect such a blessed 
change, should we not earnestly exhort all believers to 
seek it ? And the more so, because the more earnestly 
this instantaneous work of grace is sought, the more it 
is longed for, the more rapidly and steadfastly the 
gradual work of grace in the soul will progress. The 
more they are concerned about such a change, the 
more punctual will they be in observing the divine 



10 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

ordinances : whereas, on the other hand, the contrary 
may be observed in all those who are not expecting 
this work of grace. They are blessed in the hope and 
expectation of a total change, while gradually growing 
in grace. But where this hope falls away, the work of 
grace begins to stagnate, if it does not apparently 
decrease. Therefore, whosoever is concerned to pro- 
mote the gradual progress of this work, should en- 
courage believers in the hope of such an immediate 
influence of grace. So far the Discipline. 

After this she gave forth her voice again through a 
unanimous vote of 

THE GENERAL CONFERENCE OF A. D. 1867, 

which was passed with such an emphasis that it might 
well have silenced all differences. It was in view of 
certain diverging opinions concerning the doctrine of 
Christian Perfection that this matter was brought 
before this General Conference, then assembled at 
Pittsburgh, Pa., for adjustment. 

A committee was appointed to prepare a statement 
representing the views of the Conference, which com- 
mittee consisted of two bishops, and one delegate from 
each annual conference. The names of the committee 
are : Bishop J. Long, Bishop J. J. Esher, Reverends 
F. Hoffman, E. Kohr, T. G. Clewell, D. Fisher, H. Roh- 
land, H. Huelster, John Dreisbach, W. Smith, M* 
Krueger, M. J. Miller, H. Lageschulte and J. F. 
Schreiber. 

After due deliberation the following was reported, 
and unanimously adopted by a rising vote : 

Your committee desires to submit the following as 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 11 

their unanimous report on the doctrine of Sanctifica- 
tion : 

As for some time past different opinions and views of 
the doctrine of Sanctification and Christian Perfection 
have been advanced among us, and as this scate of 
things threatens harm in various ways, therefore, 

Resolved, That we are still convinced as we have 
hitherto been, of the Scripturalness of the doctrine of 
Sanctification and Christian Perfection as contained in 
our book of Discipline, and delivered unto us by the 
fathers of our Church, unanimously declare that we, as 
we have hitherto done, shall also in future, hold to, 
teach and defend the following points : 

1. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the only 
but all-sufficient Source (cause), and the perfect pat- 
tern of our Sanctification and Christian Perfection. 

2. Entire Sanctification has its foundation in regen- 
eration, and consists in a complete consecration to God 
and salvation from all sin, i. e., all evil affections and 
desires, together with the enjoyment of the perfect 
love of God wrought by the Holy Ghost, and Christ 
dwelling in us, whose blood cleanseth from all sin. 

3. Christian Perfection consists in this, that we at all 
times and under all circumstances love God with all our 
hearts, our neighbors as ourselves, and God's children 
^affectionately, and thus have the mind that was in 

Christ, and walk even as he walked. 

4. That this state of Sanctification and Christian 
Perfection is attainable in this life, yea, long before 
death, and may be retained unimpaired, by watchful- 
ness and faithfulness, even unto the end, with a con- 



12 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

tinual growth in grace, and progress from glory unto 
glory. 

5. That this state is obtained by an entire consecra 
tion and offering of ourselves to God, and faith in our 
Lord Jesus Christ ; these being the only conditions 
taught and laid down in the word of God — usually by 
a gradual progress, but often also instantaneously, in 
proportion as our consecration is complete, and our 
faith in Christ is strong, excluding all doubt. 

Resolved, further, That we most earnestly advise all 
our preachers that they, in all their public teachings 
and sermons, as well as private instruction on this all- 
important subject, carefully and deliberately use such 
terms and phrases as cannot be misunderstood, nor 
lead to deviations from the clearly expressed sense of 
our doctrine, so that uniformity of opinion may pre- 
vail among us, and we, as nearly as possible, use one 
mode of expression. 

The minutes of the Conference add the following : 
" An inquiry was here presented as to what is to be 
thought of the so-called holiness meetings* and whether 
they ought to be encouraged or suppressed ; " to w T hich 
Bishop Long, then in the chair, remarked : " I should 
think if such meetings are held in the fear cf God, for 
the purpose of seeking and promoting Sanctification, 
we ought to rejoce and cooperate with them, but if 
they degenerate, the contrary ought to be done," 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 13 



HISTORY AND TEACHINGS OF THE ARTICLE 
ON HOLINESS. 

TN A. D. 1876, Rev. R. Yeakel, then one of the Bish- 
ops of the Evangelical Association, published a 
series of articles in the Evangelical Messenger, in 
which he set forth the History, Theology, Experimental 
Teachings, and Practical Directions of the x\rticle on 
Christian Perfection in the following manner : — 

I. ITS HISTORY. 

Among the Articles of Faith, Doctrines, Directions 
and Rules contained in the Discipline of the Evangel- 
ical Association, the Article on " Christian Perfection," 
teaching " how we may attain to true holiness of heart 
even in this life," occupies a prominent place, and with 
regard to Christian experience^ and practice it stands 
preeminent. From the fact that every minister in our 
connection is required to preach the doctrines it con- 
tains, and every member enjoined to seek the state of 
grace it describes, it is all-important. 

We may as well confess the truth at once that there 
exists both among our ministry and lait}-, a great lack 
of correct information, amounting in not a few cases to 
a total ignorance of the origin and history of this 
article, and to some extent of the true import of its 
teachings and directions. 

It has been said by some that the fathers of our 
Church composed this article and inserted it into our 
Discipline as an essay on the subject. Others have 
thought that some leading man put it into the Dis- 
cipline at a later time, and that, consequently, it did 



14 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

not belong to the fundamentals of our doctrines. Some 
have thought that it was not Wesleyan y hence not to 
be construed according to the well-known teachings of 
that eminent man of God, etc. Avoiding at this junct- 
ure all discussion of these opinions, we will endeavor 
to present the history, theology, experimental teach- 
ings, and practical directions of this excellent Article, 
for the sole purpose of throwing light upon it, and 
inciting the reader to a careful and prayerful perusal 
and study of this part of our doctrines, in the light of 
the holy Scriptures and experimental truth. 

The Article has a history and a development, and to 
understand the same correctly, we must ascertain and 
study this history. Both the Old and New Testaments 
begin with history, and he who would know the doc- 
trines of the Bible correctly, needs to begin with these ; 
for theology is not only eternal truth, but it is largely 
based upon the facts of Scripture history. "All false 
philosophies begin somewhere in the middle," says a 
wise man. Let us avoid this error, and begin at the 
beginning and tread upon solid ground. 

The historical beginnings of our Article constitute a 
part of the history of Methodism in England and 
America, hence we introduce as much of it here as 
may be necessary for our purpose. 

The Methodist societies were originally governed by 
General Rules drawn up by the Wesley s, in 1743, and 
by the regulations adopted in the conferences which 
were held yearly from 1744. These regulations were 
first published in the so-called " Minutes " from year to 
3'ear. They were afterwards collected and printed in a 
tract usually called "The Large Minutes," the title of 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 15 

which reads thus : " Minutes of several conversations 
between Rev. Mr. Wesley and others, from the year 
1744 to the year 1789." These rules and regulations 
governed the Methodist societies in America to some 
extent, from the time of their formation in 1766. At 
successive conferences additional regulations were 
adopted until the year 1784, w T hen, peace having been 
concluded between England and the United States, and 
the independence of the latter acknowledged, the 
Methodist societies here were formed into the " Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church " and their first Discipline 
published, under the following remarkable title : " Min- 
utes of several conversations between the Rev. Thomas 
Coke, LL. D., the Rev. Francis Asbury, and others, at 
a conference begun in Baltimore, in the State of Mary- 
land, on Monday, the 27th of December, in the year 
1784. Composing a form of Discipline for the min- 
isters, preachers, and other members of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church in America." 

These " Large Minutes " of Wesley's conferences, 
and the first Discipline of the M. E. Church, contain 
the main part of our Article in the form of an answer 
to the question, " What can be done in order to 
revive the work of God where it is decayed ? " as fol- 
lows : 

u Strongly and explicitly exhort all believers to ' go 
on unto perfection.' That we may < all speak the same 
thing,' we ask, once for all, Shall we defend this per- 
fection, or give it up ? We all agree to defend it, 
meaning thereby (as we did from the beginning,) salva- 
tion from all sin, by the love of God and man filling 
our heart. The Papists say, ' This cannot be attained 



16 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

till we have been refined by the fire of purgatory/ The 
Calvinists say, '. Nay, it will be attained as soon as soul 
and body part.' TLe old Methodists sa}^ ' It may be 
attained before we die, a moment after is too late.' Is 
it so or not ? We are all agreed we may be saved from 
all sin before death. The substance then is settled ; 
but, as to circumstance, is the change gradual or 
instantaneous ? It is both the one and the other." 

The " Large Minutes " contained the following par- 
agraph in immediate succession to the above, which 
was left out of the M. E. Discipline of 1784 : 

" From the moment w*e are justified, there may be a 
gradual sanctification, a growing in grace, a daily 
advance in the knowledge and love of God. And if 
sin cease before death, there must, in the nature of the 
thing, be an instantaneous change ; there must be a 
last moment wherein it does exist, and a first moment 
wherein it does not." 

Then the article proceeds : 

" ' But should we in preaching insist both on one 
and the other ? ' Certainly we must insist on the 
gradual change, and that earnestly and continual^. 
And are there not reasons why we should insist on the 
instantaneous also ? If there be such a blessed change 
before death, should w r e not encourage all believers to 
expect it ? And the rather, because constant experi- 
ence shows, the more earnestly they expect this, the 
more swiftly and steadily does the gradual work of 
God go on in their souls ; the more watchful they are 
against all sin, the more careful to grow in grace, the 
more zealous of good works, and the more punctual in 



THE VOICE OP THE CHURCH. 17 

their attendance on all the ordinances of God. Where- 
as just the contrary effects are observed whenever this 
expectation ceases. They are ' saved by hope/ by this 
hope of a total change, with a gradually increasing 
salvation. Destroy this hope, and that salvation 
stands still, or rather, decreases daily. Therefore who- 
ever would advance the gradual change in believers, 
should strongly insist on the instantaneous." 

From the foregoing we see that the origin of our 
Article dates back to the conferences or " conversations 
between the Rev. Mr. Wesley and others, from the year 
1744 to the year 1789." Whoever acquaints himself 
with the life of Wesley and the history of Methodism 
during his life, will find that a large portion of their 
conference business consisted of " conversations " or 
discussions of doctrines and their settlement into what 
may be properly called Methodist Theolog}^ under the 
supervision and direction of Mr. Wesley ; and among 
these doctrines was the "Doctrine of Christian Per- 
fection. How we may attain to true holiness of heart, 
even in this life." which we now have in our Dis- 
cipline. 

It is true the original article in the " Large Minutes " 
and the first M. E. Discipline contains a few verbal 
variations, and also lacks a few paragraphs of the first 
part of the Article as it now stands in our book, but 
these were afterwards supplied from Mr. Wesley's 
writings. 

Our Article in the Discipline is, historically con- 
sidered, altogether and thoroughly Wesleyan. 

We have noticed the embryonic beginning and the 
development of this Article during the early history of 
2 



18 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

Wesleyan Methodism, and how it appeared finally in 
the first M. E. Discipline of 1784. We next find it 
enriched and enlarged from the writings of Wesley to 
its present size and thus appear in the Methodist Dis- 
cipline up to 1812. It was then omitted from their 
Discipline, with other doctrinal writings, and printed 
separately. 

God, in his wondrous ways, choosing " the weak 
things of the world to confound things that are 
mighty," awakened, converted and called into the 
Gospel ministry Rev. Jacob Albright, who became, 
under providential guidance, the founder of the Evan- 
gelical Association. His object was to preach repent- 
ance, faith and holiness to the neglected Pennsylvania 
Germans, of whom he himself was one. His labors 
from 1795 to 1800 were blessed so far that a little flock 
of earnest souls gathered around him and organized 
the Evangelical Association in 1800. 

Mr. Albright having joined the M. E. Church after 
his conversion, before he commenced preaching, from 
a preference for their excellent Church Discipline, which 
was at that time pretty faithfully administered, labored 
afterward cloctrinally and otherwise after the Method- 
istic pattern, and after the Evangelical Association 
had been organized, the necessity of a book of Dis- 
cipline, containing the doctrines and rules of the 
Church, was felt and discussed. Finally, in 1807, it 
was concluded that Albright should compile such a 
work. But the messenger of death came and led him 
over Jordan into the glorious rest that remaineth for 
the people of God, on the 18th of May, 1808, before 
he could accomplish the compilation of the Discipline. 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 19 

This work was then entrusted to Eev. George Miller, 
who published it in 1809. 

In the year 1808, Eev. Hemy Boehm, a minister of 
the M. E. Church, translated the entire ML E. Disci- 
pline, as it had been issued in 1804, into German, and 
had it printed at Lancaster, Pa. A copy of this issue 
is before me. It contains the Article on Christian 
Perfection as it now stands in our German Dis- 
cipline, verbatim. This Discipline was the text-book 
from which our Discipline was prepared, which G. 
Miller published the following year. A copy of this, 
our first edition, also lies before me. A comparison of 
the two shows that the article on Christian Perfection 
was transferred from the German M. E. Discipline into 
that of the Evangelical Association, and thus the 
Wesleyan Methodist doctrine of Sanctification or Per- 
fection introduced and adopted fundamentally as one of 
the doctrines of the Evangelical Association. 

Mr. Albright preached this doctrine very often, and 
inculcated the necessity of seeking entire sanctification 
in his conversations with his co-laborers, and also 
among the members, according to the testimony of 
Rev. Geo. Miller, in his autobiography, and of Rev. 
John Dreisbach, as given to the writer. There is no 
doubt whatever that if Albright had lived long enough 
to complete the Discipline, he would have introduced 
the same Article as an exposition of the doctrine held 
by our Church, for he was thoroughly Methodistic in 
his doctrinal views. 

Thus, then, we see that the German version of the 
Article is in our Church the original one. It remained 
the only one until the General Conference of 1830 



20 voices on HOLINESS. 

appointed a committee, consisting of A. Ettinger and 
John Dreisbach, on the translation of the Discipline 
into the English language. 

At that General Conference great changes were made 
in the Discipline. Among others, several doctrinal sec- 
tions, as for instance, on Predestination, Antinomianism 
and Perseverance, which were somewhat polemical^ 
were omitted, but the Article on Perfection was re- 
tained, it being the " established and standing doctrine 
from the beginning on this subject," as Father Dreis- 
bach expressed it. 

During later years a few men among us attempted to 
introduce views into the Church differing from those 
contained in the Article, which resulted in the tinan- 
imous declaration of the General Conference, held in 
Pittsburgh, Pa., in the year 1867, that we now and in 
the future hold fast to the doctrine as delivered unto* 
us by the fathers in the Book of Discipline. It is also* 
worthy of note that, previous to this General Confer- 
ence, a revision of the form of the Article failed of 
getting a sufficient number of votes from the annual 
conferences to carry it before General Conference for 
action. 

The General Conference of 1871 ordered that the 
article be placed immediately after the Articles of 
Faith in the Discipline, that being considered its most 
appropriate place in the book. 

In closing this historical sketch we remark, 

1. That the Article is altogether Wesley an. 

2. That it was incorporated into our Church Disci- 
pline from the beginning, and is the only and funda- 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 21 

mental doctrine of the Evangelical Association on this 
subject. 

3. That the German version is the original one 
among us. 

4. That when the Discipline was greatly changed in 
1830 this Article remained unaltered. 

5. That a recommendation for a change even of its 
systematic arrangement, was refused by the annual 
•conferences, and General Conference again unanimously 
confirmed it by the adoption of confirmatory and ex- 
pository resolutions. 

6. That no other part of our Discipline has passed 
through more sifting discussions for so many years, and 
remained so entirely untouched during all the frequent 
alterations of all its other parts. 

7. That no other portion of our book has so often 
"been confirmed during our history, nor occupies so 
large a space in our Discipline. 

II. ITS THEOLOGY. 

We have seen from its history that the Article is 
thoroughly Wesleyan. From this it is evident that its 
theology is also Wesleyan. 

What does it teach theologically ? 

1. It teaches a state of Christian experience and of 
Divine grace, called Sanctification and Christian Per- 
fection. It teaches this from the Scriptures, — from 
Matt. 5. 48, a Be ye therefore perfect, even as your 
Father which is in heaven is perfect ;" and 1 Thess. 5. 
16-18. It describes this as a state in which the Chris- 
tian is " wholly resigned to the will of God," and " con- 
sequently all self-will and selfishness must be perfectly 



22 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

subdued." "He loves God with all his heart, with all 
his mind, and with all his strength." " Sin has lost, as it 
were, all its power against such a one, he being sur- 
rounded by the love of God, as with a wall of fire. 
The flesh, the world, and Satan are under his feet, and 
he rules over his enemies ; yet watching and not 
slumbering. This is the state which the Evangelical 
Association understands by Christian Perfection." 

We have quoted only the positive statements or 
definitions of this portion ; that which is negative and 
circumstantial will be noticed hereafter. There is no 
apparent reason for any discussion of this doctrine 
per se, as the Bible is full of it. 

2. It teaches that this state of grace is not attained 
at the new birth, by saying : "Let us, then, seriously 
and explicitly admonish all believers ardently to strive 
for Christian Perfection." And this fully accords with 
what the Scriptures enjoin upon believers : " Let us go 
on unto perfection." Although there is a certain kind 
of perfection belonging to babes in Christ, yet it is not 
that of which the Scriptures speak. They distinguish 
perfection just as much as manhood is distinct from 
childhood. Every Bible reader knows this to be so. 

3. It teaches that this state of grace can be reached 
" long before we die." This is Scriptural. Christ " saves 
to the uttermost.'" Death is no Saviour in any sense, 
and does not change our moral condition in the least. 
He is an enemy that shall be made Christ's footstool. 
" Now is the day of salvation." " By grace ye are 
saved, through faith." Then why not now-? 

4. It teaches that this Perfection includes salvation 
from all sin. "And in order that we may teach one 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 23 

and the same thing on this point, let us decide, once 
for all, whether we shall continue or give up this doc- 
trine. We are all unanimous to defend and maintain 
it, understanding by it now, as at all times before, 
nothing more than a total deliverance from all sin, in 
the proper sense of the word, by means of the love of 
God being shed abroad in our heart, influencing and 
actuating the same." " We are unanimous that we 
may be redeemed from all sin long before we die, that 
is, from all evil affections and desires. Thus the main 
point remains settled." 

This full salvation "from all sin " after conversion, 
but long before we die, is, then, the main point settled. 

Thus the Article unequivocally teaches " sin in 
believers " previous to the attainment of Christian Per- 
fection, which sin is defined as consisting of " evil 
desires and affections." It is not actual sin, either of 
commission or omission, nor is it the sin of the back- 
slider that is here spoken of. The believer has already, 
according to the Article, obtained the " grace of justifi- 
cation " and by it " becomes a partaker of the divine 
nature." And, as John says, such a one "cannot sin, 
for his seed remaineth in him." 

What this Article means by "all sin" is set forth 
so clearly by Mr. Wesley in his sermon " On sin in 
believers," that any sensible reader will at once per- 
ceive what is meant by this phrase. Says he : " By 
sin, I here understand inward sin ; any sinful temper, 
passion, or affection ; such as pride, self-will, love of 
the world, in any kind or degree ; such as lust, anger, 
peevishness ; any disposition contrary to the mind 
which was in Christ. The question is not concerning 



24 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

outward sin; whether a child of God commit sin or 
not. We all agree and earnestly maintain, " He that 
committeth sin is of the devil." We agree, " Whoso- 
ever is born of God does not commit sin," etc. 

The phrase " from all sin " does evidently not mean 
that "all sin" which is in the unregenerate heart has 
remained in the believer, for Wesley sa} r s in the same 
sermon, " We allow that the state of a justified person 
is inexpressibly great and glorious. He is born again, 
'not of blood, nor of flesh, nor of the will of man, but 
of God.' He is a child of God, a member of Christ, 
an heir of the kingdom of heaven. < The peace of God 
which passeth all understanding, keepeth his heart and 
mind in Christ Jesus.' His very body is a temple of 
the Holy Ghost and a habitation of God through the 
Spirit. He is created anew in Christ Jesus, he is 
washed, he is sanctified." 

Does any one say, " To teach that justified persons 
are not saved from all sin, and yet that they are washed 
and sanctified is a contradiction and therefore an 
error " ? Paul says the same things of those whom he 
calls brethren. He says, " They are sanctified in Christ 
Jesus," they " are washed " and " sanctified," but still 
they " are yet carnal," and he exhorts them to " cleanse 
themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, 
perfecting holiness in the fear of God." There are 
many things in heaven and in nature, and in the depth 
of the human soul, that neither mathematics, nor logic, 
nor metaphysics can measure or reconcile, and yet 
they are true. The fact is that the universal experi- 
ence of faithful Christians during all ages corroborates, 
the testimony of God's Word. Who can stand up and 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 25 

say that since his conversion no evil desire, no self-will, 
selfishness, or any evil passion ever stirred within ? 
And this sometimes in the midst of the holiest exer- 
cises, as well as during trials. 

"But are these sin ? " They are remains of original 
or inbred sin. To deny that this is sin is derogatory 
to the law of God. " By the law is the knowledge of 
sin " — what it is, and how far it extends. " Sin is the 
transgression of the law." Now the law is spiritual" 
says the Bible ; its reference to outward acts is second- 
ary. Its requirement is that the spiritual state of man — 
the moral nature of his spiritual powers — be altogether 
holy at all times ; and this just as much when man 
is plrysically asleep and inactive, as when he is wide 
awake and doing. The summary command, " Thou 
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, 
mind and strength," which describes a spiritual state, is 
the primary requirement of the law — it is the essence 
of it — for " love is the fulfilling of the law." What- 
soever opposes this law in the least degree is sin. Any 
state of heart where evil desires are not altogether 
absent, and the love of God controlling and permeating 
the whole man, is partially sinful. A state of heart 
that does not comport always and fully with this law, 
is, in so far, a transgression of the law, because of its 
non-conformity to it. 

The exceedingly superficial Pelagian view that sin is 
only a special act, or a series of acts, is not found in 
the Bible nor in this Article. Sin in man is primarily 
a depraved state, and as such a unit, and evil acts are 
but its outbreaking fruits. 

When it is said that in " conversion all our sins are 



26 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

forgiven," it is expressing what belongs to justification. 
Actual sins, that burdened the conscience with guilt. 
are all forgiven, and their punishment taken away by 
Christ ; but when such a phrase is used to deny the 
need of cleansing from the remains of inbred sin, it 
indicates a great confusion of ideas. There is nothing 
to pardon in sanctification, but to cleanse and " sanctify 
wholly" and thus complete that sanctification which 
was begun foundationally in regeneration. 

In this Article the term " Sanctification," printed 
in capital letters by way of eminence — is used to 
express the instantaneously completed work of sanc- 
tification, in its negative sense, meaning the deliverance 
from all sin. This is stated thus : " This work is per- 
fected in the soul, sooner or later, by a sudden and 
powerful influence of grace and outpouring of the 
Divine Spirit. Those who have actualty experienced 
it, describe this effusion of the Divine life as being 
similar to the grace of justification, yet far exceeding 
the same. This grace is therefore called sanctifica- 
tion." 

" This grace" just described as completing salvation 
from all sin, is sanctification in a preeminent sense r 
inclusive of all that has been wrought in that direction 
in regeneration and during an " upright course in fol- 
lowing the Lamb." The adjective " entire." though 
not incorrect, which is so frequently used at the present 
time, is not found in the Article at all. 

It may be well to remark that the term "justifica- 
tion" is also used in this Article as inclusive of all that 
precedes justification, and what is inseparably con* 
sequent upon it, viz., regeneration, and is called " the 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 27 

grace of justification," stating that a Christian has 
" become a partaker of the Divine nature by justifica- 
tion, and by sanctification he is much more assimilated 
to the Divine Being." The two terms are comprehensive, 
and describe inclusively and definitely two states, or 
degrees of Christian experience. Paul used the term 
"justified" in the same inclusive and preeminent sense, 
and it is therefore both Scriptural and Evangelical to 
speak of the "justified" Sometimes the Scriptures also 
speak of those entirely sanctified, as the "sanctified," 
the same is true with reference to this term. 

The Article teaches that "this sanctification is the 
basis of Christian Perfection." I always had a special 
liking for this sentence, because it is so much in place. 
As repentance is in the order of experience the basis of 
faith, and faith the basis of justification, and justification 
that of regeneration and, finally, the resurrection that of 
glorification, so is sanctification in its negative sense, 
meaning the destruction of all sin or purification from 
all moral depravity, the basis of Christian Perfection. 
Sin being all removed, and the love of God perfected, 
now the life of Christian Perfection begins immediately 
(which is also holiness positively considered), and in- 
cludes the becoming filled with all the fulness of God, 
which shall never end. " Therefore he may, after hav- 
ing attained to this degree of sanctification, grow and 
increase yet more and more in grace, and proceed from 
one degree of glory to another. And where this pro- 
gression should be brought to a point, is not to be con- 
ceived ; rather may we suppose a continual advance- 
ment and progression to all eternity." 

This sanctification is also termed "a change." It is 



28 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

not a change of grace, nor of means, nor of anything but 
concerning that which is under immediate consideration, 
viz., deliverance from all sin and being filled with the 
love of God. Inasmuch as sin is thereby all removed 
and the love of God in us made perfect, there is a real 
change to that extent and in that respect. And it is a 
great change. And from this fact the subsequent life 
of Christian Perfection is fitly called "this state." This 
Article is very precise in using definite pronouns and 
articles in describing "this work" and "the state," which 
shows plainly that there is a prominent distinctness, 
definiteness and specialty about this sanctification that 
distinguishes it from the "grace of justification; " but 
there is nothing to be found that indicates a separate- 
ness. On the contrary it teaches directly and indirectly 
that there is an inherent connection and progression, 
even from the beginnings of grace, into the depths of a 
glorious eternity. 

The above mentioned change is predicated upon the 
instantaneous work, and also upon that growth in grace, 
which precedes it and is in respect to the latter termed 
a " gradual change." As the word "change" has refer- 
ence to salvation from all sin, we see plainly that the 
Article, when speaking of a "gradual change," means 
gradual salvation from all sin. Hence it teaches that 
as grace increases sin diminishes until it is ended by the 
instantaneous completion of the work. The view that 
.a Christian may, previous to entire sanctifiation, grow in 
grace, and 3-et sin not decrease thereby, is not in this 
Article. There is a gradual "change" until it is com- 
pleted instantaneously. 

The Article teaches further, that this Sanctification 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 29 

and the consequent life of Christian Perfection does not 
extend further than our moral nature. It is not the 
"glorification of our persons," it is simply salvation 
"from all sin," from all those "evil desires and affec- 
tions'' that are contrary to the law of love. By the re- 
moval of all that is evil, " God writes his law of love with 
quickening power in the heart, according to his precious 
and faithful promises," so as "to love him in truth with 
all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his strength.'" 
Thus the Christian's love is made perfect, not his bod}^, 
nor his intellect, nor his memory. This perfection of 
love excludes all that opposes God ; it does not, how- 
ever, preclude the further increase in this love. "Not- 
withstanding, as all created beings will ever remaia 
finite and circumscribed, and according to the nature 
thereof, are at all times and forever less than God him- 
self ; the most perfect man or angel will forever be 
inferior to God, though he become a partaker of the 
Divine nature by justification, and through sanctification 
be much more assimilated to the Divine Being, he may r 
after having attained to this degree of sanctification, 
grow and increase yet more and more in grace, and 
proceed from one degree of glory to another. And 
where this progression should be brought to a point, is 
not to be conceived ; rather may we suppose a continual 
advancement and progression to all eternity." 

From this it is very evident that our Article does in 
no wise teach an angelic, nor an Adamic, much less an 
absolute perfection. " Sanctifying grace does not take 
away the natural infirmities of man, yea it does not even 
cover them, but, on the other hand, sometimes mani- 
fests and exposes them more. Such are a weakly and 



30 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

morbid body, weakness of understanding, of memory, of 
judgment and of mind. Therefore such an individual 
may be imposed upon by false appearances, and, through 
a misdirected judgment, think more highly or deroga- 
tively of other persons than they really deserve, be in- 
distinct, yea, confused in expression, give unfit advice, 
and through all kinds of such weaknesses, which God 
never beholds or imputes as wilful sins, he may render 
himself exceptional and ridiculous before a witty world." 
The "sanctified" or perfect Christian, then, will not 
only grow and increase in grace and love, but he has a 
great work to do in improving, training and correcting 
his mental powers, and perfecting his words and actions. 
The "spots" and "filthiness" are all washed out by the 
blood of the Lamb, but the "wrinkles" above indicated 
are yet to be removed. No one will see more clearly 
these frailities and shortcomings than the perfect 
Christian himself, because he walks closely with God 
and in his light discovers a thousand infirmities in and 
about himself, of which others perhaps make no account ; 
and although God does not impute them as sin, yet he 
is humbled thereby and longs the more for that future 
heavenly perfection by which all that is "in part" will 
be done away, and he " shall be like Him" who is not 
only " spotless" but also faultless. He will, therefore, 
thankfully accept the following admonition : " Such a 
one should, therefore, never refuse to receive instruction 
and good counsel from others, who do not possess the 
same degree of grace with him, as far as he sees that 
God designs to instruct him in this way." 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 31 

III. ITS EXPERIMENTAL TEACHINGS. 

Mr. Wesley was a very close observer of men and 
things, and an astute reasoner. He incorporated his 
observations of the experience of sanctification into this 
Article, together with some logical conclusions there- 
from. As the Bible is not a book given to relate Chris- 
tian experience, but leaves it to be wrought out by the 
Holy Grtust, who worketh in believers according to his 
good pi ;asure, Wesley's method of ascertaining the cir- 
cumstances and details of 'this work" from the average 
experience as produced, by the Holy Spirit, in faithful 
souls, was the only possible and correct one. 

Now follows the substance of his observations on this 
point in the following synopsis : " Experience has 
moreover taught that, ordinarily, this state of Christian 
perfection is attained gradually by an upright course of 
life in following the Lamb ; however, under this grada- 
tion, this work is perfected in the soul, sooner or later, 
by a sudden and powerful influence of grace and out- 
pouring of the Divine Spirit. Those who have actually 
experienced it, describe this effusion of the Divine life 
as being similar to the grace of justification, yet far 
exceeding the same." 

Ordinarily, then, there is a gradual attainment pre- 
ceding the sudden completion of the work. There are 
exceptions to this rule, however, as the word '* ordinari- 
ly" presupposes. The gradual attainment is character- 
ized by " an uprijht course in following the Lamb," which 
is in contradistinction from a vascillating course of re- 
peated backslidings and fresh starts. This upright 
course is not self-righteousness, it is subject to and 



32 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

governed by "following the Lamb." This following 
can be done only by faith, " for we walk by faith,"' and 
the upright course is the immediate fruit of faith in 
Christ. There is no time specified, nor even indicated, 
how long this gradual progress must last. The sen- 
tence, "This work is perfected in the soul, sooner or 
later,"' perfectly ignores a fixed time. As all spiritual 
progress is governed by faith, and faith is governed by 
a close following of the light of the Holy Spirit and the 
Word of God, we may truly say that he who follows 
that light, and consequently his faith is increased pro- 
portionately, will come "sooner" to this glorious experi- 
ence than he who hesitates to follow Divine leadings.. 
The latter character will be just so much "later" as he 
makes it himself by not following the heavenly light. 
Faith is not bounded by time and space. As soon as 
we see in the light of God's Word and Spirit the need 
of salvation from all sin, we are invited to it without a. 
moment's delay, for "all things are now ready" All 
things are possible to him that believeth, and all things 
are possible to the Holy Spirit. When faith and the 
Holy Spirit cooperate, the work is done. All post- 
ponement and aimless attitudes of soul are unscriptural 
and detrimental. 

Another very important point has been settled by 
experience. There are a great many persons constitu- 
tionally unstable, many others not sufficiently watchful, 
a great many lack the necessary encouragement and 
help, and not a few meet with opposition instead of as- 
sistance. Considering besides these the many temp- 
tations and dangers surrounding the Christian, it is no 
wonder that this blessed state is sometimes lost, as our 



THE VOICE OP THE CHURCH. 33 

Article says : " Many others had attained it, but for 
want of watchfulness lost it again." What then ? Shall 
we sit down in despair ? Or shall we point at such un- 
fortunate ones and say, " There ! I expected nothing 
better ! The work was not genuine — there is nothing in 
it," etc. By no means. By the grace of God rise again ! 
For " experience has likewise taught that this blessed 
state, after it has been lost through negligence, may 
again be attained by the grace of God, and that a per- 
son may finally, after having been as a reed shaken by~ 
the wind, become as a firm and immovable pillar in the 
temple of God." Oh, the matchless grace of God, what 
wonders of mercy it can perform ! 

But let such a one now set a double watch at the 
dangerous point, and run the race for heaven with re- 
enforced energy. God can strengthen your weak con- 
stitutional points, and make you " steadfast and immov- 
able, always abounding in the work of the Lord." 

IV. ITS DIRECTIONS. 

And now we come to one of the most important 
points of the Article — its directions : " Let us, then, ser- 
iously and explicitly admonish all believers, ardently to 
strive for Christian Perfection." These words Mr. Wesley 
addressed to his preachers, and we have adopted them 
into our Discipline. Our preachers have all solemnly 
promised to " observe and defend the doctrines of faith 
and discipline of our Church," among which this doc- 
trine stands preeminent. Their motto is to be "Holiness 
to the Lord" they are "to insist on inward and outward 
holiness," and " to build up the edifice of holiness on 
such a well laid foundation in every sermon." 
3 



34 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

How shall this be done ? " Seriously and explicitly." 
Not in a superficial way, according to the letter, but 
" seriously, "from the heart \ as one who stands respon- 
sible to the Church and to God, who sa} T s, " Be j~e holy, 
for I am holy." Not in a general, aimless way, but 
^explicitly," pointing out clearly the need, the want and 
the present possibility of sanctification. And in order 
to accomplish the end of this preaching and of the pas- 
;sion and death of Christ (see Ephesians 5. 25, 26, 27), 
the Evangelical preacher is here directed to insist more 
particularly upon this " instantaneous work of grace," 
:as described in this Article. 

He is to urge the " gradual change zealously and con- 
tinually," he is to preach up growth in grace, but the 
most effectual way to do this is " to insist upon an in- 
stantaneous change wrought, by the effusion of grace 
in an instant," for this good logical reason, " because 
the more earnestly this instantaneous work of rrace is 
sought, the more it is longed for, the quicker and the 
more steadfastly the gradual work of grace in the soul 
will progress." 

There is nothing more positively established in the 
range of experience and practice than that an aimless 
way of doing things will amount to nothing in the end. 
There must be an objective point that is to be reached, 
and if that point be attractive and attainable, the prop- 
er presentation of it to the mind will awaken desire, 
stir up energy, arouse activity ; and progress toward it 
will be made as rapidly as possible. Hence " the more 
they are concerned about such a change, the more punc- 
tual they will be in observing the Divine ordinances . . . 
They are blessed in hope, and become so through this 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 35 

hope and expectation of a total change by gradually 
growing in grace." 

On the other hand, when sanctification is preached in 
an indefinite manner, nothing will be accomplished : 
" Where this hope falls away, the work of grace begins 
to stagnate, if it does not apparently decrease ; there- 
fore, whosoever is concerned to promote the gradual 
growth in grace, should encourage believers in the hope 
of such an immediate influence of grace." A thousand 
times Amen to this proposition ! 

It is verj r evident that the Article does not in the 
least countenance metaphysical niceties or " hair-split- 
tings" in preaching sanctification. Whether sin re- 
mains in believers in such a manner that it is only com- 
pressed, or depressed, by the influence of grace uatil 
sanctification removes it ; whether a believer can be 
sanctified an hour after his conversion ; whether he 
must make a new consecration, or simply keep intact 
that which he made in conversion ; whether inbred sin 
is an entity or an inclination ; whether sin is to be 
cast out first and then perfect love shed abroad, or 
whether the influence of perfect love casts out sin, etc., 
etc., is not said. 

Our Article does not deal with these unpractical 
points. Neither is it necessary- to know all about such 
matters, in order to become entirely sanctified. And it 
is, moreover, a question, whether something can ever be 
known about one or two of them, or whether they are 
not mere fancies. The Article is not made for a Nico- 
demus. 

Sanctification is 'practical, and the Word and the 
Spirit of God are the appointed guides of the seeker. 



36 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

Following them, he will be led into all truth, and that 
is sufficient. 

Behold how much pride, avarice, envy, anger, pee- 
vishness under affliction, selfwill, worldliness, and other 
"evil affections and desires" are still manifested in the 
Church I See the precious life-blood of the Son of God 
flowing to cleanse from all sin — until his Church become 
" holy, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing." 
Hear how God Jehovah commands, " Be ye holy, for I 
am holy !" Look how the world watches the Church to 
see the verification of her profession, " redeemed from 
all iniquity, and a peculiar people, zealous of good 
works I" Yea, how the principalities and powers of 
heaven gaze upon the Church to read in her experience 
of full salvation and holy life, as in a living epistle, the 
manifold wisdom of God, and the practical unfoldings 
of the " unsearchable riches of Christ ( " 

brother minister ! You are placed amidst these re- 
alities, called and appointed of God to bring the Church, 
as a chaste, pure virgin to her great Divine Bridegroom 
fitted for an eternal union. Oh, do for the sake of the 
Church, your Master and Saviour, and yourself, cease 
from " whittling fine points," and as in the sight of God 
and the judgment day fulfil j^our ordination vow, in 
that you u seriously and explicitly admonish all believers 
ardently to strive for Christian Perfection" 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 37 

FURTHER STATEMENTS AND DIRECTIONS. 

Again I turned my ear to the voice of the Discipline, 
to hear what the Church requires of the 

MINISTRY, 

and I heard these questions put to her candidates for 
preacher's license : 

1. Have you obtained peace with God, in the pardon 
of your sins, through faith in Christ ? 

2. Have you the Spirit of God bearing witness with 
your spirit, that you are a child of God ? 

3. Is the love of God shed abroad in your heart by 
the Holy Spirit, in such a measure that you have com- 
plete victory over every sin, inwardly and outwardly ? 
If not, do you earnestly desire it, do you seek it with 
all your heart ? 

Then I heard her give some General Rules and Direc- 
tions for her preachers, and among other things she 
said : A preacher among us should be in such a state of 
grace, that no sin whatever have dominion over him, 
neither externally nor internally ; and should this not 
be the case with him, he should strive without delay to 
become a partaker of perfect love ; otherwise he cannot 
abide as a true Christian, much less as a teacher. 

Let his motto be : " Holiness unto the Lord" To do 
the work of the Lord in the best manner the preacher 
must, 

1. By exhortation and preaching, show the sinner 
the sinfulness of his condition, and convince him of the 
necessity of grace. 

2. Point out Christ as the fountain of grace, and 
invite the sinner to accept of him through faith. 



38 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

3. Build Up the edifice of holiness on such a well laid 
foundation ; and do this in every sermon. 

These things clearly convinced me that the Church 
demands a fully sanctified ministry — a ministry that 
lives in the experience of "perfect love" and that per- 
sistently seeks to lead all believers into the same ex- 
perience. 

A PRAYER FOR INFANT SANCTIFICATION. 

Again the voice of the Discipline falls upon my ear, 
and I hear a prayer for Infant Sanctification. 

It is found in our ritual for Infant Baptism, and is a 
prayer, the import of which evidently is a supplication 
for infant Sanctification. 

It reads thus : 

" . . . merciful God, thou who livest and reignest 
from everlasting to everlasting ; thou didst give unto 
us thine only begotten Son, who shed out of his most 
precious side both water and blood, to cleanse us from 
sin, and gave commandment to his disciples that they 
should go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the 
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy 
Ghost ; regard mercifully, we beseech thee, our suppli- 
cation, and grant unto this child, now to be baptized, 
thy grace, as we bring it before thee by faith, in our 
prayers ; wash, purify, sanctify and so prepare it by the 
Holy Spirit, that it may in future show itself an obe- 
dient child. Grant unto this child, God, to become 
firm in faith, joyful in hope, and grounded in love ; that 
the old Adam may be mortified and the new man be 
raised up ; that all carnal and sinful propensities be 
rooted out, and new and spiritual desires take place 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 39 

and ever increase ; that thus it may be enabled to con- 
quer, and to reign over the devil, the flesh, and the 
world. thou ever blessed God, vouchsafe to give 
unto this child the fulness of thy grace, that it may 
ever remain in the number of thy faithful and elect 
children . . . Amen." 

The language of this prayer does not contemplate a 
condition of heart, in which there is sin to be repented of. 

It could not do this consistenly with either Scripture 
or reason. But it does contemplate a condition of 
heart in which moral purity is not perfect, but for the 
perfection, of which provision is made, in "the water 
and the blood shed out of the precious side" of the 
only begotten Son of God. 

It assumes the presence both of "the old Adam" 
and of "the new man," and asks for the destruction 
of the former, and the establishing of the latter. It 
recognizes the indwelling of "carnal and sinful pro- 
pensities," and implores God to root them out and put 
" new and spiritual desires " in their place, which shall 
" ever increase." 

The advantage supposed to accrue to the child from 
the gifts here invoked, is that " it may be enabled to 
conquer, and to reign over the devil, the flesh and the 
world." This would seem to imply what is elsewhere 
in the Discipline defined as " complete victory over all 
sin, inwardly and outwardly," which is the fruit ox 
" perfect love." 

But I quote again from the closing petition of this 
prayer, " thou ever blessed God, vouchsafe to give 
unto this child the fulness of thy grace, that it may ever 
remain in the number of thy faithful and elect chil- 



40 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

dren." This sounds very much like a prayer for full 
salvation, and, as if remaining faithful, depended upon 
this " fulness." 

I have not introduced this subject with a. view of 
discussing the moral state of infants, but merely to 
show that the Church recognizes a possible moral con- 
dition in which the human heart is neither under the do- 
minion of sin, nor yet fully delivered from " carnal and 
sinful propensities.'" Now, if such a condition does exist 
in the infant, may it not also be found in the adult 
who has been " converted and become as a little 
child" ? Hence, the substance and spirit of the above 
prayer would be equally appropriate for " babes in 
Christ" (1 Cor. 3. 1.) or, for all who have not yet be- 
come " wholly sanctified." A prayer for the purifica- 
tion of those in whom the old Adam still exists, and, 
for the fulness of saving grace, is therefore in perfect 
accord with our Book of Discipline and, most emphat- 
ically so with the Bible. See John 17. 17 and 1 Thess. 
5. 23. 

That this thought is also contemplated by the 
Church, with reference to adult believers, is evident 
from the prayers connected with the formula for adult 
Baptism. 

It must be assumed that the adult candidate for 
baptism is a believer — is converted. The first of 
these prayers includes petitions for " heavenly wash- 
ing," for faith to " wholly overcome the world, the flesh, 
and Satan ; " for the raising up of " the new man ; " foi 
the mortification of all "carnal affections," and for "the 
fulness of grace." Then follows this very significant 
prayer : 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 41 

" O merciful God, grant unto this person now to be 
baptized in thy name, the grace and the blessings of 
thy Holy Spirit, according to thy promise in Christ 
Jesus, thy well beloved Son, to give the Holy Spirit to all 
that ask thee. Thou who hast most graciously declared : 
4 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you 
shall be clean ; from all your filthiness, and from all 
your idols will I cleanse you. And I will put my Spirit 
within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and 
you shall keep my judgments, and do them. thou 
God of love, grant that this person may also be 
baptized with the Holy Spirit, and wholly dedicated to 
thee, and so endowed with strength Divine as to be able 
faithfully to perform his solemn promise made in the 
presence of this congregation, to wit : to have the 
victory over the devil, the world, and the flesh ; to 
remain steadfast by a living faith in thy name, Father, 
Son and Holy Ghost ; and at last, with the inmumera- 
ble company of thine elect, be triumphantly saved. 
Amen." 

Now it is evident that " the grace and blessings " 
promised in the passage quoted in this prayer imply 
nothing less than Entire Sanctification. Hence, if this 
prayer be answered, the result will be the complete 
purification of the " person" or persons baptized. Thus 
the prayers connected with our Church ritual authorize 
us to pray for the sanctification of those who are in a 
state of» justification before God. What else is the 
above form, but a prayer for perfect purity, and for the 
full baptism of the Holy Ghost ? 



42 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 



"THE DOCTRINES OF THE EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION." 

IN A. D. 1869, Bishop J. J. Esher, then Editor cf the 
x Evangelical Magazine, published his views in said 
monthly, especially on the doctrine of holiness, as held 
and formulated in Our Catechism and Discipline. The 
Catechism, from which he quotes, is the old one, com- 
piled by Rev. W. W. Orwig. Since then, a new one 
has been compiled by the bishop himself, having been 
appointed thereto by the General Conference. Quota- 
tions from this new Catechism, will be found further 
on, showing that the author has not in the least 
changed his views respecting the distinct work of Entire 
Sanctification. 

The following is a free translation from his Magazine 
editorial of 1869, on this subject : 

We hold our system of doctrine to be as complete, 
simple and clear, as any that can possibly be drawn 
from the Word of God by men, " Who have the Spirit of 
God." These doctrines have been divinely confirmed. 
— Here the Bishop quotes the following from the Cate- 
chism, in comparison with his own statements in a 
former editorial on the subject : 

What is meant by holiness or sanctification ? 

By sanctification is meant the entire purification 
from all sin, and unreserved dedication to God, loving 
him with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our 
mind, and with all our strength ; and our neighbor as 
ourselves. 

The proof-texts are 1 Thess. 5. 23; 1 Jno. 1. 7; and 
Matt. 22, 37-39. 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 43 

When does sanctification commence ? 

Sanctification commences in regeneration, and must 
be continued to perfection. 1 Cor. 6. 11 ; Matt. 5. 48. 

Here it is taught that the work of sanctification, 
through which we are entirely delivered from all that is 
sinful, and are perfected in the love of God, has its 
beginning in regeneration ; hence, both regeneration 
and sanctification are the work of one Master, the Holy 
Spirit, and are one in essence and nature, but respecting 
the fulness, essentially different. Through sanctifica- 
tion, that is completed which was begun in regeneration ; 
namely, the perfect moral restoration of man. As 
erroneous and unscriptural as it would be to speak of 
regeneration and sanctification as two entirely separate 
works, it is decidedly equally erroneous to speak of 
them as perfectly one and the same. The difference is 
not only in reference to gifts of the Spirit, but also in 
deliverance and purity from sin. 

This is the view of our doctrine as contained in the 
Catechism, and it is certainly the holiness doctrine of 
the Word of God. The entire cleansing of the regen- 
erated soul " from all sin, and unreserved dedication to 
God," is set forth as the main point in sanctification, 
from which we learn two essential points : 

1. That the remaining " evil affections and desires " 
in the believer, are not in themselves harmless — they 
are "sin." 

2. That the child of God is entirely cleansed therefrom 
in sanctification, and through this perfect cleansing and 
entire consecration to God, in love, the state of Chris- 
tian perfection is reached. How thoroughly Biblical, 
how full of salvation, and how glorious is our doctrine ! 



44 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

Concerning the Article on Christian Perfection, a3 
contained in the Discipline, the Bishop says : 

The whole Article, with all it contains, refers entirely 
and only to the believer, the child of God. Oh, that 
our entire membership were truly in possession of, 
and would carry out in their practice, the doctrine 
which the Church has so solemnly established in this 
Article I 

In further commenting upon this important deliver- 
ance of the Church he says : 

1. It is addressed to the believers, the converted, the 
children of God. 

2. According to this doctrine they are afflicted with 
evil affections and desires as long as they are not 
entirely sanctified, and these evils are here called sin — 
essentially. 

3. They can and must be fully redeemed from all sin 
long before they die. 

4. This deliverance they can obtain instantaneous^. 

5. This points to the fact that faith is the condition 
of this deliverance. 

6. Here we are taught that this work is a ckan/e 
which takes place in the believer, hence, sanctification 
is a distinct work from regeneration. 

THE NEW CATECHISM. 

From this grand little book I quote the following 
questions and answers : — 

Question 200. What is included in redemption ? 

Answer : Our deliverance from Satan, sin, and death, 
and our justification and sanctification as well as 
preservation, and eternal happiness through the d^ath 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 45 

and triumph of Christ. Isa. 49. 25 ; Hosea 13. 14 ; 
Eph. 1. 7 ; 1 Cor. 1. 30. 

Question 293. What is justification ? 

Justification is that act of God, whereby he forgives 
all our sins and recognizes us as righteous, through 
free grace, for the sake of Christ. — 2 Cor. 5. 21 ; Eph. 
1. 7 ; Rom. 4. 7, 8. 

Question 295. What is regeneration, which takes 
place at the same time with justification ? 

Regeneration is a work of the triune God, which God 
the Holy Spirit accomplishes in us, in that he awakens 
us from the death of sin, and makes us partakers of 
the Divine nature, and the Divine life. — John 3. 16 ; 
1 Pet. 1. 3 ; John 1. 12 ; John 3. 14, 15 ; John 3. 7 ; 
Tit. 3. 5-7 ; Eph. 2. 5, 6 ; Rom. 5. 5. 

Question 301. What is Sanctification ? 

Sanctification is that work of the Holy Spirit in us, 
whereby we are wholly sanctified, or, as the Apostle 
Paul expresses it : sanctified through and through. 

(This latter phrase is a literal translation from the 
German, of 1 Thess. 5. 23. H. J. B.) — 2 Thess. 2. 13 ; 
1 Pet. 1. 2 ; 1 Thess. 5. 23. 

Question 302. Wherein consisteth Entire Sanctifica- 
tion ? 

Entire Sanctification consists in purification from all 
sin or the destruction of all evil affections and desires, 
and in our entire renewal and perfect consecration of 
spirit, soul and body to the service and praise of God. 
— 2 Cor. 7. 1 ; 1 John 1. 7, 9 ; Col. 3. 9, 10 ; Rom. 
6. 11. 

Question 303. What is the divine condition of our 
Sanctification ? 



46 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

The divine condition of our Sanctification is faith in 
Jesus Christ. — Acts 15. 9 ; Acts 26. 18. 

Question 304. How does this faith of the child of 
God prove itself ? 

By our walking in the light, denying ourselves of all 
ungodliness and wordly lusts, childlike fidelity toward 
God, and resignation to his will, a heartfelt desire for 
the fulness of salvation in Christ, and a confident ap- 
propriation of the same to ourselves. — 1 John 1. 7; 
Tit. 2. 12 ; Rom. 12. 1.; Matt. 5. 6. 

Question 305. "What are the means through which 
the Holy Spirit effects the work of Sanctification in the 
children of God ? 

The word of God, and the blood of Jesus Christ, the 
Son of God.— John 17. 17 ; Heb. 9. 14 ; Rev. 1. 5. 

Question 306. What does Sanctification effect ? 

Christian Perfection. — Matt. 5. 48. 

Question 307. Wherein consisteth Christian Per- 
fection ? 

In being pure, and being minded as Jesus our pat- 
tern was, and walking even as he walked. — 1 John 3. 
3.; Phil. 2. 5 ; 1 John 2. 6 ; John 4. 34 ; John 8. 29. 

Question 308. Whereby does Christian Perfection 
prove itself ? 

Herein, that we in truth love God perfectly, and our 
neighbor as ourselves, and thus keep the command- 
ments of God.— Matt. 22. 37-40 ; John 14. 23 ; 1 John 
4. 12 ; 1 John 5. 2, 3.; Matt. 5. 44. 

Question 309. What is the effect of Christian Per- 
fection ? 

A constant increase or growth in divine knowledge 
and spiritual strength, as well as fruitfulness in good 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 47 

works, to the glory of God, and in the blessedness of 
this state of grace.— 2 Pet. 3. 18 ; Col. 1. 9-12. 

Question 310. Who obtains this state of Sanctifica- 
tion and Christian Perfection ? 

It is the calling and privilege of every Christian to be 
sanctified through and through, already in this life, and 
to be without blame before God in love, and thus walk 
in the commandments of God. — 1 Thess. 4. 3, 4, 7 ; 1 
Pet. 1. 15, 16 ; Eph. 1. 4 ; Luke 1. 6. 

Such is the language of the book specially prepared 
for the purpose of indoctrinating the youth of our 
Church in her distinctive views and doctrines. 

OUR HYMN-BOOK THEOLOGY ON HOLINESS. 

TN her voice of song the Evangelical Association is 
* no less definite and pronounced in favor of experi- 
mental holiness than in her Discipline and her Cate- 
chism. 

Her new Hymn-Book contains no less than thirty-one 
hymns on "Entire Sanctification," some of which ex- 
press very definitely, the prayer of a soul seeking full 
salvation, and expecting it now. 

What else are we taught in hymn number 376, under 
the inscription, " Prayer For the Refining Fire " ? 

Who but a truly converted soul can sing the first line ? 
And who but one expecting perfect purity just now can 
sing these verses " with the spirit and with the under- 
standing : " 



j & ■ 



MY God, I know, 1 feel thee mine, 
And will not quit my claim, 
Till all I have is lost in thine, 
And all renewed I am. 



48 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

2 I hold thee with a trembling hand* 

And will not let thee go, 
Till steadfastly by faith 1 stand, 
And all thy goodness know. 

3 Jesus, thine all-victorious love 

Shed in my heart abroad: 
Then shall my feet no longer rove, 
Rooted and fixed in God. 

4 Oh, that in me the sacred fire 

Might now begin to glow! 
Burn up the dross of base desire, 
And make the mountains How! 

5 Oh, that it now from heaven might fall, 

And all my sin consume! 
Come, Holy Ghost, for thee I call, 
Spirit of burning, come. 

6 Refining lire, go through my heart, 

Illuminate my soul; 
Scatter thy life through every part, 
And sanctify the whole. 

Or number 378, from which we sing : 







JESUS, at thy feet we wait, 
Till thou shalt bid us rise, 
Restored to our unsi lining state, 
To love's sweet Paradise. 



2 Since thou wouldst have us free from sin, 
And pure as those above, 
Make haste to bring thy nature in, 
And perfect us in love. 

Then we turn to number 389, and our desires and 
pra} 7 ers grow more intense as we sing : 

DEAR Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole; 
1 want thee forever to live in my soul; 
Break down every idol, cast out every foe: 
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow- 



TSE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 49 

Cho.— - Whiter than snow, yes, whiter than snow; 

Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 

2 Dear Jesus, come down from thy throne in the skies,, 
And help me to make a complete sacrifice; 

I give up myself, and whatever I know — 
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 

3 Dear Jesus, for this I most humbly entreat; 
I wait, blessed Lord, at thy crucified feet, 

By faith for my cleansing, I see thy blood flow — 
Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 

Here our prayer and faith are supposed to reach 
their climax, and our joyous song breaks out in praise 
and profession, as we sing : 

The blessing by faith, I receive from above; 
Oh, glory! my soul is made perfect in love; 
My prayer has prevailed, and this moment I know, 
The blood is applied, I am whiter than snow. 

These are only a few specimens of our prayers for 
and profession of entire sanctification, as we sing them* 
from our Church Hymn-Book ; in our social worship, 
and in our public congregations. Would that the holi- 
ness theology 7 of our hymns would become a burning, 
blazing reality, in the heart of every one whose voice 
chimes in with our sweet and sacred melodies. 

On the use of hymns a recent writer makes the fol- 
lowing pertinent remarks : 

"A hymn either means what it sa} T s, or it does not. 
If it means a certain thing, let it be used as an expres- 
sion of that thing, or not used at all. There is no dif- 
ference between singing a truth, and saying that truth 
in the ordinal tones of the speaking voice. A spoken 
untruth is not divested of its inherent falsehood when 
it is set to music and sung, however artistically. We 
4 



50 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

have no right to say to the Lord God : ' Here's my 
heart, oh, take and seal it/ unless we mean just that. 
If we sing, < Thus far the Lord hath led me on,' it 
should be with a reverent and deep sense of the 
Divine guidance of our lives, from youth to the present 
da}- . We insult the Master if we exclaim, 

' Jesus, I my cross have taken, 
All to leave and follow thee,' — 

if we have never taken up our cross at all, or. having 
done so, have no idea of leaving anything in partic- 
ular, or of following Christ in any direction opposite to 
our own desires. The prayer — 

' Rock of Ages, cleft for me, 
Let me hide myself in thee ' — 

is a prayer, not a vain repetition. 

"When a hymn is read, it should be followed with 
•attention to the close ; when it is sung, it should be 
made, so far as possible, a part of one's own spiritual 
exercises, aspirations, or resolutions. If j'ou do not 
believe the words of a hymn, or cannot utilize them, — 
and hymns are not always perfect or scriptural, — do 
not sing them. But if you do believe them, sing them 
as a real expression of your belief, or, at any rate, 
listen to them in the same spirit with which you listen 
to the minister when he prays or preaches." 

This is sound reasoning. We certainly must not 
think lightly of our theology as expressed in song. 
We might as well treat it indifferently in any other of 
its forms of expression. 

Having: heard these formulated views and doctrines 
of the Church, in statements, directions, resolutions 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 51 

and song, and also the comments npon them from re- 
cognized leaders among us, I turn in the direction of 
the founders and fathers of our Chunch. — Here the 
first voice that salutes my eager ear is from 

ALBRIGHT, WALTER AND MILLER. 

A RECORD left by Rev. George Miller, of Mr. Al- 
bright, from which I gather the unmistakable fact 
that Albright both enjoyed the grace of entire sanc- 
tification himself and was greatly concerned about hav- 
ing others enjoy it. 

His motto was " Holiness unto the Lord." Christian 
Perfection was his aim, of which he had a deep, Script- 
ural, Methodistic conception. He strove earnestly for 
this state of grace and obtained and enjoyed it, accord- 
ing to his own testimony, and that of others who knew 
lim. Entire Sanctification was with him by no means 
.a " glittering generah^y," but a Scriptural truth and a 
blessed reality. "He enjo3 r ed and practiced perfect 
love toward God and man, and was, through the grace 
of God, completely master of his affections and desires, 
and subjected them all to the rule of the Spirit." Such 
is the testimony given concerning him, by one who 
knew him quite well. He held this doctrine to be all- 
important, and impressed it by preaching, and other- 
wise, very frequently upon preachers and members. — 
Having met Mr. Miller one day, in great heaviness, he 
spoke words of comfort and courage to him and asked 
him "whether he had obtained the grace of perfect 
Sanctification." To this Miller replied, " I cannot say 
that I have." 



52 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

" Then," continued Mr. Albright, " you cannot preach, 
holiness with power/' and exhorted Miller to seek this 
grace earnestly and without delay ; otherwise he could 
not endure severe trials. "For," said he, "the devil 
will often attack you ; therefore seek this grace in order 
to withstand him, and that you may accept all crosses 
and adversities willingly and thankfully, as from the 
hand of the Lord." 

Mr. Miller sa}'S : " This sank deep into my heart, and 
with tears I asked God to sanctify my soul. And, several 
times such a gracious power came upon me, that I could 
heartily thank God for all sufferings. Still the cer- 
tainty of this state of grace in me was disturbed for 
awhile, because I did not fully comprehend the deep 
depravity of human nature. I desired to be- perfectly 
delivered from all evil affections and desires ; where- 
fore, I once spent nearly a whole day in prayer and sup- 
plication. Thus the Lord brought me nearer and 
nearer to Entire Sanctification, so that I could more 
and more confidently trust that God would bless me 
and give me the unction of the Holy Ghost, that 
I might be able to triumph over Satan, the world and 
sin." On another occasion these two brethren spent a 
few days in company with each other, when Mr. Miller 
again complained of his trials, to which Albright 
replied : " This is indeed a heavy burden, but it is 
3?our own fault that you are so overwhelmed, for you 
are not willing to submit to the hand of God, and as 
long as this is the case the Lord will not change your 
condition. But of this be certain, that if you were 
perfectly saved from these infirmities, and would stand 
fast in this salvation, } t ou would not only cease com- 



THE VOICE OP THE CHURCH. 53 

plaining of your sufferings, and be resigned to the 
leadings of the Lord ; but you would even praise and 
thank God, for everything that may befall you.'' Miller 
says : " With such words he urged me to submit 
entirely to God, to be content with my condition, and 
earnestly follow after holiness. 

" This admonition so affected nry heart, that during a 
journey of about thirty miles I wept nearly all the 
w r ay ; and in the evening I wrestled about one hour in 
prayer, until a powerful stream of love poured down 
upon me, so that I could love and praise God for all 
my crosses and sufferings. Yea, I could love my bit- 
terest enemies, and persecutors, and thank God for the 
manifold chastenings that had come upon me. I knew 
certainly that all things must work together for my 
good, and I felt willing to ' kiss the rod.' Glory, 
praise and honor, to my Father and my God ! that 
I could praise Thee forever ! From this time on I 
could preach and speak with much more clearness on 
the subject of holiness ; but I did not trust to profess 
it as my experience, until I was tested at several ' big 
meetings' and at one Conference. But the Lord 
helped me mightily in this." 

At a later date, when Mr. Miller had completed 
his compilation of the Book of Discipline, he says : 
41 1 was exceedingly anxious that I should first be 
found obe} T ing these things which I had written 
for others. But God would have me tested ; for, 
at an annual conference session, I had to testify 
concerning Entire Sanctification, which I believed 
I had experienced, and, also to my professed obedi- 
ence, to our Book of Discipline. But I was enabled 



54 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

to give testimony to these things to the great com- 
fort and improvement of my soul, and the satisfac- 
tion of my brethren. I thank God from the depths of 
my heart that he assured me more than ever on this 
occasion of the irresistable influx of his love," .... 
" From this time on I realized the grace of Sanctifica- 
tian in such a measure, and such quickening power, 
that in preaching I had to profess it publicly in order to 
satisfy my convictions ; for the doctrine of holiness 
flowed involuntarily from my lips, so that I could say 
with certainty before God and the Church, ' It is not 1, 
but the grace of God in me.' This doctrine of holiness 
was blessed of the Lord to the good of many of my 
brethren, and caused me great joy. And, some of them 
attained to such confidence, that by the next annual 
conference they had outstripped me. Blessed be the 
name of our gracious and merciful God, who has thus- 
blessed and spread the doctrine of holiness to the good 
of so many ! " 



UNFAITHFUL MINISTERS CANNOT BE SANCTIFIED. 

Mr. Miller says, "when a preacher fails to fol- 
low his calling the work of grace in him will soon 
begin to stagnate. In the first p'lace he cannot teach 
holiness correctly and savingly ; and in the next 
place he cannot judge of the doctrine properly when 
he hears others preach it, and thirdty, he cannot help 
his erring brethren into the right way. If he attempts 
it he will only cause the more damage. I am fully 
convinced of this by observation, having heard a 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 55 

preacher teach holiness erroneously, and not as I ex- 
perienced it and learned from the Holy Scriptures to 
teach holiness. 

THE GRACE OF SANCTIFICATION DEFINED. 

" The grace of Sanctification is perfect victory in us, 
through Christ, so that all temptations to sin are 
instantly repelled and overcome. Hence, that which is 
evil, or sinful has no power over the sanctified, either 
inwardly or outwardly. But such persons must by no 
means conclude that there is no more danger of being 
tempted to sin. There is great reason why they should 
watch, and work out their salvation with fear and 
trembling. Yet, be assured that the grace of God, in 
Christ Jesus, is stronger than Satan, the world or the 
flesh. Whoever does not voluntarily let this grace 
slip, but continues therein by watching and prayer 
unto the end, will be kept from all sin and preserved 
unto eternal life. 

" With this grace I was enabled to deal with all per- 
sons, rich or poor, relative or stranger, without respect 
of persons, and this also greatlv aided me in setting 
forth true Practical Christianity." This last statement 
refers to a book written by Mr. Miller, entitled "Prac- 
tical Christianity," from which I quote the following 
plain statement of his views : — 

Holiness, or Christian Perfection, which Christ re- 
quires of his disciples and all true believers, (Matt. 5. 
48.), he will also cheerfully grant unto all who desire it 
with their whole heart, and seek it by believing and 
confident pra} T er in true humility and submission, sur- 
rendering all self-will, and humbling himself under the 



56 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

hand of God. Whosoever will surrender himself, soul 
and body, unto God, and by faith lay hold upon the 
sanctifying love of Christ, will soon attain to the happy 
state of grace in which he submits to all the sufferings 
and afflictions of this life as coming from the hand of 
God, not only with resignation, but also with gratitude. 
Hence he can love God with all his heart, soul and 
strength ; reign over all his spiritual enemies, and suc- 
cessfully resist every temptation the moment it is pre- 
sented, without yielding, as is often the case with weak 
Christians. In this happy state of grace the Christian 
stands firm and immovable by watching and prayer, 
and his joy and peace resting in God, are not easily 
interrupted. This is called sanctification, and in order 
to retain it w r e must constantly live near to God, Oh ! 
what a glorious privilege the sanctified person enjoys, 
being rooted and grounded in God, and surrounded by 
his love like a wall of fire ; God dwells in him, and he 
in God. Against such a soul sin has as it were lost all 
its power ; for he is enclosed in the fear of the Lord, 
protected by his power, continually obtaining comfort 
and peace from God under all afflictions and trials — 
but not without watching and prayer. According to 
the admonition of the apostle, such a soul can rejoice 
ever more, pray without ceasing, and in everything 
give thanks, for such is the will of- God in Christ 
Jesus. 

Dear reader, from the passages of Scripture quoted, 
it appears very evident that it is essentially neces- 
sary to strive after holiness, and hold fast the same 
when once obtained. Whosoever neglects this does 
not obey the will of God, but follows his own will, 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 57 

and that of the world, and of Satan. Therefore let 
every one take heed not to neglect and despise the 
grace of God. And he that has neglected to seek 
sanctifying grace, or having once enjoyed it, but 
through carelessness lost it, such I would exhort in the 
spirit of the apostle, raise the feeble hands, strengthen 
the weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, 
lest that which is lame be turned out of the wa}^, 
t>ut let it rather be healed. (Heb. 12. 12, 13.) Give 
yourself up to the will of God entirely, fulty surrender- 
ing all self, as I have shown, and continue in earnest, 
"believing prayer, and God, the giver of all good and 
perfect gifts, will not delay to impart the Holy Spirit to 
your sanctification. Should it even seem as though 
the Lord would not bestow such grace, only continue 
steadfast in watching and prayer until help comes ; for 
"they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their 
strength ; they shall mount up with wings as eagles ; 
they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk 
and not faint." (Isa. 40. 31.) 

He that has obtained this grace from God, so as to 
l)e a continual conqueror and constant victor, must, 
nevertheless, still continue to grow in divine knowledge 
and love, in connection with steady watching and 
prayer. Negligence in progressing from glory to glory 
in the knowledge of God, is as irreconcilable with 
sanctifying grace, as it is impossible to retain the state 
of justification without advancing to sanctification by 
watching and prayer. The sanctified Christian can and 
must continually abound more and more in this state 
of grace, must make advancement, as much as lieth in 
his power, not by slow degrees, but if he is truly in 



58 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

earnest, jreally desirous to continue steadfast in the 
grace of God, he will, like Paul, press forward toward 
the mark of the prize of our high calling of God ini 
Christ Jesus. (Phil. 3. 5.) This is the sense in which 
the apostle speaks in the 13th verse : " Brethren, I 
count not myself to have apprehended ; but this one 
thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind,, 
and reaching forth unto those things which are before. " 
The apostle's idea at this place is not that he himself 
has not obtained holiness or a clean heart, as some 
erroneously claim. Far from it. He speaks of the 
heavenly prize, of the crown of life, for which he was 
striving, and wished to encourage his brethren in this 
respect to follow his example. I am assured that who- 
soever will fight the good fight of faith after the man* 
ner of the primitive Christians, continue in watching 
and prayer, and go forward from one degree of grace 
to another, he can also remain steadfast until it shall 
please God at last to relieve him from the infirmities 
of this tabernacle of flesh. This state of grace ; this* 
new and spiritual life with Christ in God ; such pro- 
gress in life unto sanctification and perfection in Chris- 
tianit} 7 ; such steady progress from one glory to an- 
other, such firmness in God with constant watching and 
prayer ; in short, this happy state, attainable already 
in this life, is the most contented, happj r and prosper- 
ous state that one could wish to be in. Therefore let 
us give heed to the exhortation of the apostle : 
"Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to 
make j r our calling and election sure ; for if you do 
these things, ye shall never fall." (2 Pet. 1. 10.) 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 59 



REV. JOHN WALTER. 

IT is to be regretted that so few of the words of this 
golden tongued orator have been left on record ; of 
whom Kev. Dr. Schmucker, of the Lutheran Church, 
once said, " He is profoundly learned, and a speaker that 
has scarcely yet been excelled." His learning, however, 
consisted in a knowledge of the things of God, which 
enabled him, as a true " son of thunder " to astonish 
the people with his powerful speech. 

The following sermon will give the reader some idea 
of his views on holiness, and his style of preaching. 
It was preached in the open air in 1802, and reported 
years afterward, from memory, by Father Wonder, of 
Cary, Ohio. 

Text — Who is she that looketh forth as the morn- 
ing, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as 
an army with banners ? — Sol. Songs 6. 10. 

Beloved Hearers : Come and consider with me these 
glorious words of the wise man, Solomon. In his 
Songs he speaks of Christ the heavenly Bridegroom? 
and of true Christians as his Bride. In our text he 
represents Christ as expressing his love, joy and 
admiration for his bride. Behold, what love this 
language indicates, and then look to Calvary, where it 
was exhibited in a manner unheard of before. Here 
Jesus offered up his life for the purchase of his Bride, 
and our text gives a beautiful description of how he 
gradually prepared her for himself. Each person be- 
longing to this bride knows something of this by ex- 
perience. 



60 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

I. ''Who is she that looketh forth as the morning?" 
The morning pre-supposes darkness. The sinner be- 
longs to the kingdom of darkness. He lives in dark- 
ness, performs the works of darkness — is darkened in 
iiis understanding, heart and will. Such are called the 
"children of night." Their condition answers to that 
of the earth when it was " without form and void," and 
when " darkness was upon the face of the deep." But 
Jesus, who is the " Light of the world," arises as the 
Sun of Righteousness unto such souls, and their first 
light in the heart is as the breaking forth of the morn- 
ing light. But to such souls the day has not yet fully 
oome. Yet, at this dawning they see, partially, their 
sins, and the misery of their condition. 

In this condition the sinner appears, in the sight of 
heaven, earth and hell, as the promising morning 
dawn — such " go forth" and draw attention to them- 
selves. The world, which loveth darkness rather than 
light, will persecute them. Now when they begin to 
forsake the works of darkness wicked men will accuse 
them of the sins they committed, together ; Satan also, 
ivill seek to hinder them, but Jesus and holy angels 
Tejoice greatly over them, as they break forth from their 
darkness into the kingdom of light, the certainty of 
their pardon, and the witness of their adoption. 

II. a Fair as the moon^ such souls now shine in their 
lives. Not in their own light, or righteousness, but like 
the moon reflecting the light of the sun ; so do they 
reflect the light of Christ. They are now the children 
of the day — a light in the Lord. There is light in their 
understanding and in their hearts, and they know that 
they are on the way of life. Still, with them this light 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 61 

diminishes and increases as it does with the moon. In 
all spiritual understanding they are only children. 
Sometimes, in hours of trial their light is as dim as the 
new moon, and generally they live only in the light of 
the quarter-moon where the} T learn to know many 
besetments and remains of sin, in their feelings, words 
and works. The seasons when they represent the 
beautiful full moon are usually short. They have 
remission of sins, and, like the moon, are almost con- 
stantly floating in the light of the sun. The changes 
in their feelings, etc., are not permanent, and if they 
will only continue to walk in the light as God is in the 
light they will soon be, 

III. "Clear as the sun" in the enjo} T ment of entire 
sanctification, since, by faith, Christ dwells in their 
hearts, and his light shines forth from their entire be- 
ing, in holiness and true righteousness. Such Chris- 
tians are then fully separated from the world — chosen 
and precious in the sight of God, through Jesus Christ. 
They are cleansed from all unrighteousness, love God 
with all their heart and their neighbor as themselves. 
Such persons are under the command and leadership of 
the Prince of our Salvation. 

IV. "Terrible as an army with banners." There is a 
severe conflict between Christ and Satan — between 
righteousness and sin. Christ must reign till he hath 
put all his enemies under his feet. All true Christians 
belong to his army, and are led by this great Prince of 
glory. This army consists of various divisions with 
their banners, but as they are all " Saints of the Most 
High," they are united, and present a terrible front to 
the legions of hell. It is said that 



62 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

"Satan trembles when he sees, 
The weakest saint upon his knees/ ' 

In the name of Jesus they conquer. Sinners will be 
rescued from the jaws of Satan. Throughout entire 
communities, families and hearts, his works are laid in 
ruins, for, ", For this purpose the Son of God was man- 
ifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 
Thus the Christians go forth, with Christ as their 
Captain, conquering their enemies upon the right hand 
and the left. Hear it, ye people, and take it to heart : 
The true Christian people, if faithful to their exalted 
Leader, will take this country, and finally they will 
appear with Christ and his heavenly host when he shall 
come in power, with ten thousands of angelic attend- 
ants, and with flaming fire, to take vengeance on them 
that know not God, and are not obedient to the Gospel 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, banishing them from the 
presence of God, and from the glory of his power, to 
writhe in eternal pain. This appearing of Christ will 
be glorious, with all his saints who believed on him, 
and obediently followed him. Then all the ungodly, 
and the scorners, shall be like straw for the devouring 
flames, while the children of God shall appear with him 
in glory. Then, while ten thousand thunders will be 
rolling, and the heavens be blazing with forked tongues 
of lightning ; while the plowshare of ruin shall run 
deep through world on world, and a universal fire shall 
lick up the waters of the great oceans, then shall the 
wicked cry, " Ye rocks and mountains, fall on us and 
cover us from the face of him that sitteth on the 
throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great 
day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 63 

stand ? " Then shall the saints shine in the glory of 
the Son of God, while they shall help to judge the 
world. 

Sinner, hear it ! The Son of God, whom you are 
crucifying, and whose blood you trampled beneath your 
unholy feet, and the praying followers of Jesus will, in 
the last day, meet } r ou in their glory, but " terrible as 
an army with banners," to drive you into the lake that 
burneth with fire and brimstone ! Before this terrible 
army you will retreat as before a storm of thunder 
iDolts from heaven, to take up your abode where there 
is wailing and gnashing of teeth. In that day " every 
eye shall see him, and they also, which pierced him, 
and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him" 

Then shall all the children of God rejoice greatly, 
and the saints of the Most High shall take possession 
of the kingdom forever and ever. " Songs and ever- 
lasting joy shall be upon their heads ; the}' shall obtain 
joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee 
away." 

Hallelujah ! Amen. 

But hark ! I hear another voice, which has in it the 
clear ring of the old Holiness Trumpet, and as I turn to 
see whence it comes, I read the name of 

REV. JOHN DREISBACH. 

TYRO. John Dreisbach was the first Presiding Elder of 
the Evangelical Association. From a record written 
by his own hand concerning a camp-meeting held at 
Conewago, Pa., in June, 1814, I quote the following : 
"June 1. To-day the friends assembled, and in the 
evening Bro. Schauer preached and H. Niebel exhorted. 



64 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

" I felt a great concern for the meeting, and had faith 
for the conversion of sinners and the sanctification of 
believers. 

"June 2. To-day I preached from 1 Pet. 1 22 ? 
1 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the 
truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the 
brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure 
heart fervently.' Great grace was upon me, and I felt 
a wonderful solemnity for sinners. Several fell down 
as though they were dead. The friends were deeply 
convinced of the necessity of Sanctification. At 2 
o'clock P. M., Bro. Erb preached on the trembling of 
Felix under Paul's preaching, after which I exhorted 
the penitents now to look to Jesus by faith, and told 
the friends, they should believe unto sanctification, and 
called upon all who were willing to do this to hold up 
their hands. They did so, and we began to pray. 
There was a special purifying power from God among 
us. Many, according to their profession, obtained 
sanctifying power. I do not know that I ever felt the 
power of God stronger in me than to-day, while I was 
preaching on holiness. My body and soul were re- 
freshed, and I felt, myself what I preached unto others. 
Blessed be God for this ! 

This meeting was richly blessed with conversions 
and experiences of holiness." 

Of another Camp-Meeting held the same year, he 
says : " The preaching of the Law and the Gospel 
worked mightily unto sanctification." And again he 
sa}^s, " To my knowledge, I never heard sounder con- 
fessions of holiness than I heard here, while many 
others deeply felt the need of it." 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 65 

A year later he says : " God gave me abundant grace 
to preach justification and sanctification through faith. 
The power unto conversion and sanctification came upon 
us. Thank God, it penetrated body and soul ! 

" I believe many of the friends were renewed and estab- 
lished in holiness. The result of this meeting was,. 
that fourteen were converted and twenty-eight professed 
holiness." 

Still later he reports a meeting at which " twenty- 
four were converted, and sixteen professed holiness." 
Thus we see the earnestness, and some of the methods, 
by which this gifted man of blessed memory sought to 
promote the experience of entire sanctification among 
believers, or converted souls, whom he designates as 
"the friends." Nor did he ever change his views of 
the importance of this matter, as may be seen from a 
letter written to the author of his biography (Rev. R. 
Yeakel) in 1869, just a year or two before his death. 
" In this letter," says his Biographer, " he expressed 
his great joy over the so-called i Holiness movement/ 
through which has been brought about an earnest seek- 
ing and wrestling to apprehend Christ fully, as he is 
made of God, unto our Sanctification." 

His letter closes with the following words of solic- 
itude for the doctrine of holiness as hitherto accepted 
and taught among us : 

" The doctrine of Christian Perfection, which from 
the beginning was contained in our Book of Discipline,, 
was considered by the fathers as the established doc- 
trine of the Evangelical Association, on Christian; 
Holiness, and I hope our Church will always hold fast,, 
and faithfully teach and live this truly Scriptural doc- 
5 



66 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

\ 

trine. Should, however, a time come when the Evan- 
gelical Association would cast away and disregard this 
doctrine, then ' Ichabod ' should be written in its stead, 
because then the glory of Israel would be departed. 
Let us hope and pray that this may never come to pass, 
but that our Israel may go up and possess the land, 
and God be glorified forever." 

But I turn my ear to another voice from the sainted 
fathers, and this time I hear a clear, strong blast from 
the silver trumpet of 

REV. HENRY FISHER. 

" T^ULL of faith and the Holy Ghost," his ministry 
extended over a period of twenty-three years — 
1831-1854 — during which time he served as pastor, 
or rather traveling preacher, Presiding Elder, General 
Book Agent, and Editor of the Evangelical Messenger, 
in succession. 

I have before me a brief sketch of one of. his ser- 
mons, from the text, " Blessed are the pure in heart, 
for they shall see God." 

He begins b}' saying : u I do not come to you with crit- 
ical definitions and descriptions of those who are pure in 
heart, but will simply repeat the Biblical representations 
of their character. They are those who love God with all 
their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and their neighbor 
as themselves. They are crucified with Christ and can 
say with Paul, ' I live, yet not I but Christ liveth in me: 
They reckon themselves dead, indeed, unto sin and 
alive unto God, through Christ Jesus our Lord. They 
have washed their robes and made them white in the 
blood of the Lamb. They are continually a living 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 67 

sacrifice unto God that is holy and acceptable, which is 
their reasonable service. They have their conversation 
in heaven — forgetting the things that are behind, they 
press forward for the crown of life, and meanwhile shine 
as a light in the world, and in themselves they enjoy, 
through Christ, that perfect love which casteth out all 
fear that hath torment, and gives them boldness to 
stand in the day of Judgment. And, though they are 
still on probation, and must fight, and suffer with 
Christ, yet they come off more than conquerors through 
Him that loved them. Blessed state 1 

" They are blessed because they are pure. The impu- 
rities of sin are taken away — the sinful affections and 
desires destroyed, and the sanctified powers of the soul 
acting in harmony according to God's will." 

" HOLINESS OUR CHIEF TOPIC." 

During Mr. Fisher's editorship he wrote for the 
Evangelical Messenger of 1849, as follows : 

" The doctrine of holiness, or entire sanctification, 
aught to be at all times our chief topic, because it is the 
top, as well as the corner-stone of Christianity. It is 
the substance of Christian experience, and the heart of 
the religion of Jesus Christ, Take away the doctrine of 
full redemption, and its being ready and offered to-day 
and now (2 Cor. 6. 2.), and the salt will have lost its 
savor, and God's dear children will be destitute of that 
food which their heavenly Father has provided for 
them in the Gospel. And, if the Gospel of Christ be 
'the power of God unto salvation to every one that 
"believetk' (Rom. 1. 16.), if 'all things are now ready' 
Luke 14. 17.), and if the end of our preaching shall 



68 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

be, ' that we present every man perfect in Christ Jesus * 
(Col. 1. 28.), then every minister of the Gospel should try 
to hold forth this doctrine in its purity (and, unless this is 
done, the Church under our charge will sink), and every 
believer ought to use his utmost endeavors to come up to the 
very standard of Christian perfection. Morever, as this 
is the doctrine of our Church, of the Church of Christ, and 
of the Bible, we should be firm and immovable, recommend- 
ing it by example and precept wherever we are, and, trust- 
ing in the Lord, stand as men of courage in its defence" 
These are plain words from one who stood second to 
none of our now sainted teachers as to his saintly life,, 
his Church loyalty, etc. The importance he here 
attaches to the experience of entire sanctification is put 
in as specific and strong language as any modern holi- 
ness editor or preacher could well employ. How dif- 
ferent from many preachers of our day ! 

It is a serious fact, that this very work, which ought 
to be our chief topic, is persistently suppressed by 
some who have vowed to promote it — to "exhort all 
believers to become partakers of perfect love," Broth- 
er, pay thy vows. 

HOLINESS MUST BE SOUGHT. 

The following is from the German of Rev. H. Fisher. 
The word holiness is a very comprehensive term and 
should by all means be correctly understood by 
every person, especially by every professor of religion. 

God spake already to his ancient people, saying, " Ye 
shall be holy ; for I am holy." Lev. 11. 44. Peter, 
when exhorting and encouraging believers to self-denial, 
growth in grace and zeal, says : " Not fashioning your- 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 69 

selves according to the former lusts in your ignorance ; 
but as he which hath called you, is holy, so be ye holy 
in all manner of conversation ; ("All manner of living. 
— Revised Version) because it is written, Be he holy, 
for I am holy." 1 Pet. 1. 14-16. Many more passages 
might be quoted to establish this ground, but these 
will suffice. 

From these passages and from the Scriptures gen- 
erally, it is evident that God wants us to be holy — to 
seek and enjoy holiness. 

By the term holiness we understand entire freedom 
and separation from all sin, perfect cleansing from all 
filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and to be transformed 
into such a state that we are enabled to love God with 
all the heart, with all the soul, with all the mind, with 
all our strength, and our neighbor as ourselves ; and 
can say : " For this is the love of God, that we keep 
bis commandments, and his commandments are not 
grievous. " 1. John 5. 3. 

But we do not wish to be understood to believe that 
the Christian can attain to such a degree of holiness in 
this world as to be free from all ignorance, and all 
imperfections, pertaining to his understanding, his 
mental capacities, and his judgment — that he will 
have no more temptations — no more trials and crosses 
to bear — or that he will discover no more infirmities in 
bimself, nor be in danger of falling from grace and los- 
ing his soul. But we believe and declare, on the 
authority of God's word, and the experience of many, 
that he can be so crucified to the world, and the world 
to him — and that he can be so filled with the love of 
God that he is able, under all circumstances, to lead a 



70 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

holy life, and to serve the Lord with joy and thanks- 
giving. 1 Thess. 5. 16-18, 23, 24. We further declare 
that when the believer has reached this state, he can 
still become more closely united with God, through 
Christ, and that the only way to retain this grace is, to 
be continually going forward. 

Again he writes thus : Destitute of the sanctifying 
power, we are not moving in the sphere in which God 
would have us, and as a natural consequence, are not 
able to perform the work assigned to, or the duties in- 
cumbent on us, so as to meet the approbation of the 
great Head of the Church. Whether you are a min- 
ister, an official, or a private member — a husband or 
wife — parent or child — master, mistress, or servant — 
let your relation in life be what it may, you are depend- 
ent on sanctifying grace to discharge the various duties 
enjoined upon you ; and without holiness of heart it is 
impossible for any one to serve God in accordance with 
his holy and righteous will, and consequently whosoever 
neglects to strive after it, violates the precepts of the 
Most High. The command in relation to this work is 
as plain, and as binding on us as any one in the Bible ; 
and, therefore, he who does not comply with the require- 
ments of the Gospel, will, sooner or later, yield to the 
temptations of the devil — nature will be revived, and 
he will fall a victim to the enemies of his immortal 
soul. We need not wonder that there are so many 
worldly-minded and cold-hearted professors, who are 
clogging the Church, and are a hindrance to the pro- 
motion of religion, and that there are so many back- 
sliders in the world, who, wallowing, as it were, in the 
mire of unrighteousness, are of the most miserable 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 71 

creatures on the surface of the earth — when we con- 
sider that there is, generally, so little exertion made, 
and the momentous duty of striving for entire sanctifi- 
cation is so rarely insisted upon. 

The blessedness which he enjoys who commits him- 
self entirely to the Lord, and the love imparted to him 
from our Heavenly Father, cannot be discovered to such 
as are unacquainted with the nature of religion. It 
must be experienced. 

Considering these things, should not every one be 
induced, with all earnestness, to strive for holiness of 
heart and life? How are you minded? What are 
your sentiments in regard to this important work? 
Are you enjoying the blessing of entire sanctification? 
If not, are you striving for it ? or are you at ease in 
Zion ? If so, may God alarm you ! Do commence the 
work now — do not rest satisfied with a mere form of 
godliness, or with what y ou once experienced ; but 
give your whole heart to Jesus, and strive for a bright 
witness of your adoption ; and if you feel yourself in 
a state of Justification, go ahead — search the Script- 
ures and read such publications as will convey light on the 
subject. Meditate — breathe the spirit of prayer — 
agonize and watch in prayer — search your heart — be 
zealous of good works ; and at all times exercise faith 
in the all-sufficiency of the blood of Christ. In all 
your exercises look to Jesus, and expect the blessing as 
a free gift of God f and be willing to receive it in his 
own way ; and you may take it for granted that the 
Holy Spirit will accomplish the work as soon as you are 
altogether willing to commit yourself to the Lord, and 
lay all upon the altar. 



72 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

At another time he wrote : It is absolutely neces- 
sary that every professor of religion strive to become a 
partaker of this grace. The fact that it is God's will 
(1 Thess. 4. 3.; Heb. 12. 14.) is a sufficient reason why 
every one should consider it his duty to seek and retain 
this state of grace. Even though a person be justified 
from his sins, unless he follows after holiness, he is dis- 
obedient, and will fail in the end. His own nature, the 
world, and Satan, will be too strong for him, and he will 
be carried away with the current of unrighteousness. 
This is the principal reason why so many who had once 
obtained the grace of God are now in perdition, — why 
many who once flourished in the Church of Christ, are 
again running with the world, and revelling in unright- 
eousness — and others, although they are still carried 
along as members, are, as it were, swallowed up in 
frivolity, love of the world, and pride ; so that they are 
only a burden to the Church, and unless they again are 
thoroughly converted, they will be lost with all their 
profession. May the dear Lord, for Jesus' sake, pour 
out his Spirit largely upon the entire Christian world, 
so that the Church may wake up to this important and 
divinely ordered cause. 

If sinners are to be truly converted through the in- 
strumentality of the Church, her members must be 
sanctified. But the question arises, how is this grace 
obtained ? We answer, by being sincere in all things, 
as far as we have knowledge, exercising ourselves in 
self-denial, being zealous unto all good works, } 7 et not 
trusting in our own works, but looking unto Jesus, 
by faith, and believing that there is full power in the 
atonement of Christ to redeem us from all uncleanness, 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 73 

and to transform us into a state of holiness. We must 
exercise faith, and, since grace is obtained through 
faith, we have a right, when we sincerely and earnestly 
-discharge all our duties, to expect it at this time, yes, 
even now. Our faith takes hold upon Christ, " who of 
God is made unto us," not only " wisdom and righteous- 
ness," but also " sanctification and redemption." 

And what are we to pray for ? We are to pray for a 
supply of all our wants— for pure hearts, and the 
entire sanctification of our " spirit, soul and body," — 
and in a word, for the grace we need to walk in God's 
commandments, and to do all to his glory. And if you 
Jiave attained to the state of entire sanctification, or 
perfect love, bear in mind, continually, that you are 
altogether dependent on the efficacy of the blood of 
Christ,, to keep yourself pure and to make advance- 
ments in religion. We must likewise pray for our fel- 
low-men—for those embraced in our family-circle, for 
our relatives, our acquaintances, and for all men, even 
our enemies. And if our hearts are properly inclined, 
w^e are, as a matter of course, interested in the welfare 
of our fellow-mortals. 

Whilst we are desirous to see believers go on to per- 
fection and enjoy the height and depth, and the breadth 
and the length of the Christian religion, we must ar- 
dently pray for the spread of the Gospel and the ex- 
tension of Christ's kingdom. 

WHY IS HOLINESS NOT MORE GENERALLY PREVAILING ? 

In the Messenger of May 8th, 3850, I find the fol- 
lowing plain words from this consecrated pen : 

" Why is there not more holiness prevailing ? Why 



74 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

not more striving after entire sanctification ? The 
principal cause of this great deficiency is, too great 
neglect of holding up the indispensably necessary doc- 
trine of Christian Perfection. But why is the doctrine 
of entire sanctification not more generally proclaimed ? 
Because whosoever preaches perfection will meet with 
opposition, not only from nom professors, but likewise 
from many professors. But there is another reason 
why this doctrine is not more generally proclaimed, and 
this is, no doubt, the greatest. There are too many in 
the field who have themselves not as yet experienced 
the work — not reached the Canaan of perfect rest, are 
not striving after it in God's w T ay — and as a natural 
result, they are incapable to recommend it to others,, 
and to defend the cause in a proper manner. Christ 
says: 'For out' of the abundance of the heart the 
mouth speaketh.' 

" We do not hesitate to allege, that that preacher who- 
has attained and enjoys the blessing of entire sanctifica- 
tion, highly appreciates it, and feels it his duty to 
preach it. Love to God and the Church constrains him 
to offer this great salvation to his fellow-men, and it is 
food to his own soul to be engaged in the glorious, 
work. Even he who has, as yet, not attained this state 
of perfection, but enjoys the witness of his adoption 
into the family of God, being in the proper light in 
regard to the subject, and a firm believer in the doc- 
trine, and l striving lawfully ' for the crown, cannot re- 
frain from proclaiming it as far as his knowledge 
relative thereto extends. May the great Head of the 
Church give the alarm, and send sanctifying grace in 
copious showers upo?i the ministry — may preachers and 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 75 

editors feel the holy fire pervading soul and body, and 
may we all out of the abundance of our hearts proclaim 
the good tidings of this full salvation ! We may 
depend upon it, that in order to build up the Church 
here below — to dress and prepare the stones for the 
Temple above, where the sound of a hammer will not 
be heard — it is as necessary to preach entire sanctification 
as any other point of doctrine. 

"In conclusion, we would humbly entreat that we 
endeavor to do all we can to remove all hinderances, 
that the work of God may take deep root in the hearts 
of believers generally, and that the Church be not con- 
tinually troubled with cold professors and backsliders. 
You that have not attained the state in question, and 
are not earnestly, perseveringly and believingiy striving 
after holiness of heart and life — after perfect love, — 
for God's sake be alarmed, and for the sake of your 
souls, and the souls of your fellow-men, go to work — 
do not procrastinate — begin to-day, even now — read 
and study the Scriptures, and the sentiments and ex- 
periences of such men as Wesley, Fletcher, Garretson, 
Bramwell, Carvosso, Albright, Miller, etc. Closely 
observe all your actions, examine the very intents of 
your heart, spend much time in secret prayer, endea- 
vor to approach the throne of grace in profound humil- 
ity, part with every idol, and let Christ empty your 
heart of all the remains of the carnal mind, and take 
full possession thereof, to reign there without a rival. 
Breathe the spirit of prayer at all times, exercise faith 
in the efficacy of the precious blood of Jesus Christ ; 
strive zealously and manfully ; do not be discouraged,, 
but look for the blessing — go into it with your ivhole heart x 



76 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

and expect it every hour, yea, even now. If you desire 
and seek it, it is yours. If you are in possession of it 
try to walk constantly by faith in the merits of Jesus, 
living moment by moment. When once the ministry is 
holy, then, generally speaking, we shall have a holy 
membership." 

The following is one of his editorials, in the Mes- 
senger of 1849 : 

Much has been said in regard to entire sanctification 
and Christian perfection, in both our papers, during the 
last few months. It has been sufficiently proved that 
God has provided for the entire sanctification of his 
people in the present life, that he demands such a state, 
and that he has promised this blessing to all who hun- 
ger and thirst for it, and diligently seek it by prayer 
and faith. But it is not sufficient that we hold to the 
attainableness of this high state of grace. We believe 
it, prove it, contend earnestly for it, but alas ! how 
many of us have attained it, or are restlessly pursuing 
it ? Where is the evidence that we are hungering and 
thirsting after true holiness, and all that mind which 
was in Christ Jesus — that we expect to be made per- 
fect in love in this life, and that we are groaning after 
it ? These are important inquiries, and they should be 
duly considered. What can it avail us that God has 
procured so great a blessing for us, if we do not enjoy 
it ? It is a deplorable fact, that in proportion to the 
number of professors of experimental religion, but very 
few enjoy entire sanctification. Need we wonder why 
not more sinners are converted, and that the world, or 
rather the Church, is filled with backsliders and luke- 
warm professors ? Certainly not. What better thing 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 77 

can be expected, so long as the avowed friends of Christ 
do not live up to their privileges and duties ? But is 
not the main cause of the want of holiness in the 
Church to be found with its ministers and official mem- 
bers ? Undoubtedly it is. — Well was the injunction 
given, " Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord." 
The Church will never take a higher stand in piety than 
that which the ministry occupies. And the ministry 
will lead the flock on in the way of holiness in the 
same proportion in which they are themselves possess- 
ed of the spirit of holiness. 

The arguments that shall convince, and the words 
that shall take effect, must come from sanctified lips — 
must come blazing from a heart itself on fire with 
heavenly zeal and the love of God. — It is also vastly 
important that elders and deacons, or class-leaders and 
exhorters, as well as superintendents and teachers cf 
Sabbath-schools, should be clad with the armor of holi- 
ness. Great interests are committed to their trust — 
they are made, in a measure, responsible for the spir- 
itual improvement and the final salvation of multitudes 
of souls redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, and, 
the more deeply they are imbued with the spirit of 
their Master, the more successfully will they discharge 
their important trust. — The same may be said of 
parents and heads of families ; and, to a certain extent, 
of all private Christians. They all have gifts to im- 
prove, for the edification of the Church and the benefit 
of mankind generally. 

Then ought not every Christian, particularly every 
minister and official member of the Church, ask his 
own conscience the question, Do I enjoy entire sanctified- 



78 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

tion ? Am I holy in heart and in all manner of conversa- 
tion ? Do I love God with all my heart, and with all my 
soul, and with all my mind, and my neighbor as my- 
self? 

BISHOP SEYBERT'S VOICE. 

TN the Evangelical Messenger of July 6, 1871, I find a 
A letter with editorial comments, setting forth the 
holiness views of this eminent man of God, as follows: 
That the first * Bishop of the Evangelical Associa- 
tion was fully in harmony with the doctrine of Entire 
Sanctification and Christian Perfection, as contained in 
the Article in our Discipline, seems to be as self-evident 
as any axiom in science. He dwelt, however, much 
more upon the experimental and practical aspects than 
the theoretical, in his advocacy of sanctification, just as 
does our Article. He preached a thorough, inward and 
outward, holiness. We heard him once in a sermon, 
give a criterion whereby a Christian might know that 
he was entirely sanctified on this wise : "If one who 
was specially inclined to avarice has, by the help of 
God, attained a state of grace, which makes him 
heartily liberal, and induces him to hate even the ap- 
pearance of stinginess, when he who has been proud, 
feels such an abhorrence of pride that he goes down a 
step lower instead of rising up when temptation to 
pride is offered, etc.; when there is a momentary and 
perfect victory, without a response from within ; when 
these formerly darling sins are offered, then you may 
know that you are entirely sanctified/ ' This is a 



*The Biographer of Albright shows that Mr. Albright was 
really the first Bishop.— H. J. B. 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 79 

Tadical definition, but not more so than is the Word 
of God and genuine experience. A respected friend 
sent us the following question : "Are there any doc- 
uments extant, or have we any other reliable sources 
through which it can be satisfactorily ascertained what 
wrere the views of the sainted Bishop Seybert on sanc- 
tification and Christians Perfection ? " Yes, there are 
many of them. Perhaps there are none of his testimo- 
nies more explicit and positive than a certain cor- 
respondence from his pen, published in the Christliche 
Botschafter of Juty 28th, 1852, of which we here give a 
faithful translation : " Dear Editor : — My recollection 
•concerning our labors in the East and West Pa. Con- 
ferences moves me to the deepest gratitude for the love 
.and friendship, the dear friends manifested toward me 
while I traveled in these boundaries. And I would 
remind them to remember what the Lord has done for 
them during the last conference }^ear, especially in some 
sections, where moral darkness had been very great. 
We had such awakenings, revivals, and sound conver- 
sions as are seldom seen. 

"As a humble co-worker in the vineyard of the Lord, 
I would fervently exhort the new converts to say 
with David, from the heart, ' Bless the Lord, my soul, 
and forget not all his benefits, who forgiveth all thine 
iniquities ; who healeth ail thy diseases.' Imploringly 
I would also exhort them to die daily unto the world 
and all evil, deny themselves and take up their cross 
and follow the Lord Jesus in a holy life ; yea, that they 
may strive in faith with prayer and tears until their 
hearts are cleansed from all sin and healed from evil, and 
they are fully sanctified through the Divine trjith, that 



80 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

they may be enabled with Enoch to walk with God ; 
that is, to live soberly, righteously and godly in this 
world. 

"But this is strange and despised doctrine with the 
so-called progress of this corrupt age, and the thou- 
sands of new-fashioned converts. To be cleansed from 
all sin, to purify one's self, even as he (Christ) is pure, 
and then, to live without sin (1 John, 3. 3-9) is carry- 
ing the thing too far for most Christians in our days • 
they hope to get to heaven without this. This is the 
reason why so little fruit of godliness is seen, and the 
Church is so full of miserable, worldly and backslidden 
members. These people are only a stumbling block 
with their profession of Christianity ; and this may be 
the chief cause that infidelity, deism, atheism and 
universalism make such fearful progress in some places. 
It is, therefore, highly necessary, in my opinion, that all 
true and faithful ministers and followers of Jesus who 
see this corruption, insist, with redoubled earnestness 
upon Christian perfection, and especially prove it by 
their own life and conduct." 

These are golden words that ought to be treasured up 
in every minister's heart. Bishop Seybert did not deal 
delicately with any remains of sin. He was practical 
and hesitated not to call that " evil" which is evil, and 
to say "sin" instead of using frailty, short-comings, 
faults, weakness, or any palliative and excusing terms, 
when exposing things that are sinful. He was set 
against all tinkering of the doctrines of salvation. 
Especially did he dislike the introduction of the foreign 
doctrine of sin in the flesh remaining in believers 
until death. He spoke of this subject in a conversa- 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 81 

tion with us in 1857 in these words : "Oh, I fear this 
doctrine will do us great harm. If only the dear 
brethren would seek entire sanctification, instead of 
commencing to dispute about it." 

He was equally opposed to the sentiment that entire 
sanctification takes place in regeneration, that all of the 
old man is then entirely cast out so that there are no* 
remains of sin to be removed. The above exhortation 
given to new converts proves this beyond a doubt, viz r 
that they- should " strive in faith with prayer and tears 
until their hearts are cleansed from all sin, and healed 
from evil, and they are fully sanctified through the 
Divine truth." (Dass sie im Glauben rait Gebet und 
Thraenen ringen maschten, bis ihre Herzen von alien 
Sue?iden rein, vom TJebel geheilt, und sie in der gcettlichen 
Wahrheit vosllig geheiliget sein moegen.) 

Have those new converts in the Eastern conferences, 
to whom this exhortation was addressed, heeded it ? 
Have they sought sanctification " in faith, with prayer 
and tears ? " 

The Bishop never changed his theology with refer- 
ence to this all-important doctrine. Only seventeen 
days before his death he wrote the following letter to- 
Bro. John Spotts, of Greensburg, Ohio, which is of 
special interest, both on account of its contents and its 
being the last one he wrote : — " Immanuel — God with 
us ! In great weakness of body, but still fully resolved 
to serve the Lord and labor in his vineyard to the end of 
my life, I take my pen to write a little to you, I expect 
to see you soon and talk with you, the Lord willing. 
I hope you have not changed in }'Our experience and 
your principles of religion, with reference to a lively 
6 



82 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

worship of God and holiness of heart and a holy life. God 
help us to stand immovable in all the essentials of the 
religion of Jesus Christ, and always abound in the 
work of the Lord, because we know that our labor in 

the Lord is not in vain. In the neighborhood of 

things look sad. There the admonition of Christ is 
applicable, i Watch and pray, that ye enter not into 
temptation.' There is little hope for improvement at 
present, therefore, let him that standeth take heed, lest 
he fall. But we have still pillars there to support the 
edifice. Had not the Lord saved a remnant, we would 
be like Sodom and Gomorrah. To him alone be honor 
praise, glory, and thanksgiving through all eternity. 
Amen ! John Seybert." 

" To John Spotts, Dec. 18, 1859." 

Prom this letter it may be seen what deep solicitude the 
bishop felt in his consecrated heart with reference to 
changes of views and doctrine. He remained unchanged 
with regard to holiness of heart and life to the end. His 
stand-point was the Bible and our Church Discipline, 
and he ever and always insisted upon the experience 
and practice of entire holiness as taught in the Oracles 
of God and by the fathers. Let us follow him as he 
followed Christ." 

A SERMON ON HOLINESS. 

From the bishop's biography, I translate the follow- 
ing abstract of a sermon preached by him about the 
year 1849, in a private house in Bucks County, Pa., 
from the text : " Blessed and holy is he that hath part in 
the first resurrection" Rev. 20. 6. After speaking of 
the first resurrection, or the millennium, he said, 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 83 

i: Blessed and holy is he ; " that is, he who has been 
made spiritually alive, is blessed because he is free 
from the guilt and the penalty of sin, as the Scriptures 
say : " Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord im- 
puteth not iniquity." Such a one has remission of 
sins, and is blessed with the peace of God. But the 
Holy Spirit has added something else here, namely : 
*« holy," and has firmly bound it with the little conjunc- 
tion " and " to the u blessed" so that it is linked together 
like a chain, which no one can break ; for " what God 
hath joined together, let no man put asunder." He 
that has been made spiritually alive, has also, in his 
regeneration, obtained such a measure of the Divine 
nature and image, that he can have victory over all 
-actual sin, and lead a holy life. Now if such person 
Tvill watch and pray, he can also have dominion over 
his passions, crucify the old man, and grow up to the 
stature of Christian Perfection, in which he will have a 
holy hatred against all evil, even abhorring his former 
darling sins ; for he possesses power to love God 
supremely and perfectly. Here, then, love will burn out 
all envy, pride, worldly fashion, unbelief, avarice, back- 
biting, and all evil as completely as when natural fire 
consumes a heap of dry stubble. That Christian is 
perfect in love, who, when the devil tempts him to 
pride, he will get down another degree lower — when 
tempted to avarice, he will reach in his pocket and 
bring an offering unto the Lord ; and when he is 
cursed he will bless in return. 

But the devil has a ministry in the world now-a-days, 
that will not bear this truth. They admit, since the 
light shines so clearly, that we must be born again, and 



84 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

they allow also, that we may feel somewhat of the love 
of God ; but no noise, nor shaking of the dry bones 
dare take place. These ministers of Satan teach that 
at best we are always only weak Christians, daily fall- 
ing into sin, and constantly needing to repent ; that we 
cannot get rid of sin this side of the grave — not till 
our bodies return to dust. Whoever would be re- 
deemed already in this life from all sin, is branded as 
being " spiritually proud," "a pharisee," or " self-right- 
eous." Thus the ministry of Satan seeks to tear away 
the "holy" from the "blessed" — but the almighty God 
has put the " and " between these two, to hold them to- 
gether as with a strong clamp or clincher, so that no 
devil, nor devil's ministry can rend them asunder. 
Hallelujah ! 

But God also has a ministry in the world, which he 
himself has called, set apart, anointed with the Holy 
Ghost, and empowered to preach the whole counsel of 
God out of their own experience. Here the Word of God is 
preached as it has been learned in the school of Christ. 
Here blessedness and holiness united are preached to the 
people, who are told that "without holiness no man shall 
see the Lord." Here the Word of God, like a sharp, 
pointed sword, penetrates and cuts on all sides ; for the 
Word is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two- 
edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of 
soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a 
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." 
Thus 'we must preach, and thus I intend to preach, 
until my eyes close in death and my tongue becomes 
speechless ; for the truth must be set upon the throne, 
and the right hand of the Lord must have the victory ! 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 85 

These blessed and holy ones are the priests of God, 
and of Christ. By their union with Christ, the eternal 
High-Priest, they have become a spiritual priesthood, 
to offer unto God the fruit of their lips, even the sac- 
rifice of praise. They often praise God with a loud 
voice, giving " glory to God in the highest," or, with 
the Psalmist, exclaim, "Bless the Lord, my soul, 
and forget not all his benefits." 

From another sermon preached April 10, 1848, and 
published in the Evangelical Messenger of Sept. 8, 1849, 
I quote his text with one striking paragraph, as fol- 
lows : 

Text — But now being made free from sin, and be- 
come servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, 
and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is 
death ; but the gift of God is eternal life, through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. — Rom. 6. 22, 23. 

I wish to say a few words regarding our " fruit unto 
holiness:''' As soon as the penitent receives pardon 
and remission of all sins, he is transferred from the 
service of one master to that of another, freed from the 
slavery of sin, and engaged in the service of God. 
Holiness of heart will be his principle, and righteous- 
ness of life his fruit. 

Brethren and sisters in the Lord, you must be sane- 
tified. You must be made pure in heart, or you can- 
not see God. You must not only abstain from sin, but 
abhor it. You must maintain the strictest decorum in 
all your conversation and your dealings. You must 
glorify God with your spirit, soul and body. Pray to 
God without delay ; delay cannot be any advantage to 
you, and it might prove the damnation of your im- 



86 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

mortal souls. Do not, however, be discouraged, Christ 
is yet on the mercy-seat ; and he is willing to fill 
hungry ajid panting souls with his gifts. He can pre- 
pare your souls in an instant for the full enjoyment of 
all the unbounded blessings you may yet need. The same 
creating voice that said, " Let there be light, and there 
was light," can in the same manner purify and adorn 
your souls, and make them fit for the presence of the Lord. 
Then, my friends, you will be able to bring forth the 
fruits of the Spirit : love, joy, peace, long-suffering, 
goodness, meekness and temperance. 

Let the reader linger here and take in the full scope 
of this Episcopal voice, concerning which it has so 
often been declared that it never gave "a certain 
sound " on the doctrine of a distinct experience of 
holiness subsequent to conversion. Who can read the 
above utterances, and still say, " Bishop Seybert did 
not teach that we must get entirely sanctified after we 
have been soundly converted" ? 

Here is his testimony ; and it stands as almost pos- 
itive proof that if he were living to-day he would be 
ranked among the so-called holiness preachers. 

But I hear still another voice from one who, "though 
dead, yet he speaketh." It is the familiar voice of 

BISHOP JOSEPH LONG. 

TN an article written by him in 1869, for the Living 

Epistle, he says : 

Holiness is our high calling of God in Christ Jesus, 
and is absolutely necessary in order that we may 
answer the end of our being, which is to know, love, 
obey, enjoy, and glorify God forever. 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 87 

When God created man he made him in his own 
likeness ; " in the image of God made he him." This, 
according to the apostle, consisted in knowledge, right- 
eousness, and true holiness. And now, as the Divine 
Being is infinite, he is neither limited by parts nor 
definable by passions, and can have no corporeal image 
after which he made the body of man ; hence the 
image and likeness must necessarily be intellectual ; 
his mind, his soul must have been formed after the 
nature and perfections of God, who is holy, just, wise, 
good, and perfect. Such must the soul have been that 
came from him. There could have been nothing in it, 
that was impure, unjust, ignorant, evil, low, base/mean, 
or vile. But man morally considered is not so now ; 
he is faLen, he has lost his glory, he is defiled and cor- 
rupt in every part. Yet the counsel of God stands im- 
mutable, " and he doeth all his good pleasure " in car- 
ding out his wise and gracious plan of salvation. 
"For this is the will of God, even our Sanctification." 
Hence he hath chosen us in him (Christ) before the 
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and 
without blame before him in love." And, "in the ful- 
ness of time," in the gift of his son, who by his obedi- 
ence, sufferings, and mediation has opened up a new 
and living way, he made ample provision for the 
renovation and restoration of fallen man to the image 
of God, that he might become a fit "habitation of 
God through the Spirit." This implies justification, 
regeneration and sanctification. 

Sanctification is the work of God's grace by which 
we are renewed after the image of God and set apart 
for his service, and it makes us meet for the enjoyment 



88 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

of the presence of God in the kingdom of glory. It 
must be considered in a twofold light ; first, as an 
inestimable privilege granted us of God; second, as 
an all-comprehensive duty required of us in his Holy 
Word. It differs from justification thus : 

Justification changes our relation to God as our 
Judge ; Sanctification changes and purifies our heart to 
love him as our Father. In Justification we are saved 
from the guilt and punishment of sin, and restored to 
the favor of God ; in Sanctification we are saved from 
the power and root of sin, and restored to the image of 
God. 

Sanctification is nothing less than man's entire 
resignation of his will to the will of God, and to live 
in the offering up of his soul with all its powers, con- 
tinually in the flames of love, as a whole burnt-offering 
to Christ. The grand operating power by which this 
blessed work is effected is likewise the Divine Spirit, 
applying the blood of atonement which cleanses us 
from all sin. But it must be sought by a diligent at- 
tendance to all the means of grace, and faithful per- 
formance of all the duties enjoined by the Word of 
God; but above all implicit faith in God "that he is, 
and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek 
him." It is faith that brings the saving power of God 
to man, that purifies the heart. u Thy faith hath saved 
thee." And if through faith, then by grace, by the 
free unmerited mercy of God, as the apostle very 
elegantly expresses it : " Not by works of righteous- 
ness which we have done, but according to his mercy 
he hath saved us by the washing of regeneration and 
renewing of the Holy Ghost." 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 89 

Reader, if thou art justified by faith, and hast peace 
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ — if thou hast 
obtained power to become a son of God by receiving 
the Lord Jesus and believing on his name, then why 
tarriest thou short of the full salvation of God ? Arise, 
and come to the fountain ; present yourself a living 
sacrifice without reserve, soul and body, to God ; cast 
yourself upon the "altar (Christ) which sanctifieth 
the offering," "that you may be perfect and entire, 
wanting nothing ; " that all " the mind which was in 
Christ may also be in you," and you be saved from all 
sin, "that is, from all evil affections and desires," that 
your heart may be filled with the love of God and 
man, which is the fulfilment of the w r hole law, then 
you will u be holy as he is holy." This love is holi- 
ness. 

These plain and forcible words of the bishop repre- 
sent him as a very radical holiness teacher, as many 
now living, well knew him to be. But let us hear him 
again, as he speaks from the pulpit. 

His text is, " In that day there shall be a fountain 
opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants 
of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness." — Zech. 
13. 1. 

Concerning this fountain and its purpose he says : 
Naturally a fountain is a well of water, a useful and 
living spring. But that the prophet here speaks fig- 
uratively and with a spiritual intention, is evident from 
the spiritual results wiiich are to be produced by this 
fountain. This fountain alone is the effectual remedy 
for the " sins and uncleanness " of man. The prophets 



90 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

prophesied under various appropriate figures of the 
kingdom of Christ and of the Messiah ; and to what 
else could Zachariah refer, when speaking of this 
fountain, but to the Messiah or the fountain of grace 
opened by Him for sinners ? Christ is an inexhaust- 
ible fountain of grace — an immeasurable fulness, espe- 
cially to the house of David and the inhabitants of the 
spiritual Jerusalem ; and of " His fulness," says John,. 
" have all we received, and grace for grace." 

But that this fountain should be set forth as belong- 
ing to the house of David and the inhabitants of 
Jerusalem, this also must be significant of something 
more than a literal interpretation. As Abraham and 
David, with their offspring, had the preference in the 
promised Messiah, so also their postertty, as inhabitants, 
of the earthly Jerusalem, was figurative of the subjects, 
of Christ under the new covenant. Consequently this 
fountain of Divine grace was not intended for the 
Jewish nation only, but for the entire Church of the 
New Testament. 

Christ himself appeared on earth, and, as the true 
substance, put an end to all that was only "a shadow 
of good things to come ; " having pacified the demand 
of the righteousness of God by satisfying the law — 
humbling himself that we might be exalted, and be- 
coming poor that we might be rich. He opened the 
fountain through his laborious life and teachings, his- 
patient endurance, and particularly his highly meritori- 
ou3 sufferings and his propitiatory death upon the 
ignominious cross. To open this fountain wide for us,, 
he sacrificed everything, not even excepting his life. 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 91 

The last drop of his heart's blood was permitted to 
flow out through the wound made by a soldier's spear. 
He laid down his life for sinners, that they might be 
reconciled to God. This, then, was the important " day " 
when the "house of David and the inhabitants of 
Jerusalem " could freely drink from the perfectly open 
fountain. This was the urgent time, when the general 
condition of the world made it necessary that a deliv- 
erer should come. It was also a suitable time, because 
the whole world of mankind were languishing in a 
state of drouth and thirst, the light of the true knowl- 
edge of God having been nearly extinguished even 
among the Jews. "In that day'' came Jesus with 
light and grace from God, and opened a free fountain 
for the refreshing and salvation of the panting multi- 
tudes. And, unto this day — rejoice all ye sinners ! — 
even now the fountain is opened to you through the 
Gospel. 

For us, even for us, who hear the Gospel to-day, the 
fountain of grace stands open, and what else is each 
Gospel sermon but a new invitation to share the ben- 
efits of this fountain. It is a joyful message, con- 
stantly crying : " Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye 
to the waters" — " drink without money and without 
price. " 

"Be ve reconciled to God." 

Ho all ye panting, thirsting souls, do you hear the 
message — the invitation — the entreaty ? It comes to 
you to-day — the fountain is open to you, open now. 
Not "in that day" — not*centuries in the future, no, at 
this time; "now is the day of salvation, now is the 
accepted time." Oh, then come willingly and in haste 



92 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

to the open fountain ! Why do you linger ? You are 
in reach of the fountain, as Hagar was when God 
opened her eyes so that she saw a well of water. Will 
you still suffer your soul to languish ? The impor- 
tance of coming to this fountain must appear evident to 
-every one as we further consider the purpose for which it 
was opened. What was the object of opening this foun- 
tain at so great a sacrifice ? The text says " for sin and 
uncleanness." This is easily said, but oh, how hard to 
understand ! This fountain is not intended simply to 
counterbalance, but to overbalance sin and its effects. It 
is opened "for (Ger. against) sin and uncleanness," so 
that these cannot affect the fountain, but it is a true 
antidote against all sin. 

What a power, therefore, lies in this fountain ! Sins, 
though numerous and powerful, and uncleanness, 
though so deep that it permeates the whole man, body 
and soul, yet these can be removed by this open foun- 
tain. 

To destroy sin is the purpose for which this fountain 
has been opened. If there were no sin there would be 
no guilt and no uncleanness among men, and man 
w r ould need no pardon and no cleansing. By sin came 
guilt and punishment upon all men ; but Jesus took 
the punishment upon himself and suffered for them. 
Sin has polluted all men, but Jesus shed his own blood 
for their cleansing (1 John 1. 7). Sin plunged all men 
•under the condemnation of death, but Jesus died and 
brought life for sinners, as it were, out of the dead. 
He himself has therefore become a fountain of grace 
for us ; and he will deliver us from our sins and cleanse 
us in his blood. Jesus invites all sinners to come unto 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 93. 

him, that he may give the thirsty drink, and the weary 
rest (Matt. 11. 27 ; John 8. 37). sinful soul ! if thou 
wouldst be a partaker of salvation, cleansing and re- 
freshing, then comply with the conditions — and you 
must be a partaker of these or die eternal^. Oh, then 
come with true penitence, come in Mth and with sin- 
cere longings : — " Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye 
to the waters, and he that hath no money, come \e 7 
buy, and eat ; yea, buy wine and milk without money 
and without price." 

Just at this point my ear has caught the sound of 
another voice, which has been hushed in death, but 
not without having left us a definite message on the 
subject of holiness. It comes from the clear mind and 
warm heart of one with whom many of us have been 
familiar. I refer to our beloved brother, 

REV. S. G. RHOADS. 

TTIS deliverance on the doctrine of Sanctification, as 
contained in his book, entitled "The Old Way," is 
clear and strong. Here is what he says in answer to- 
the question : 

a WHAT IS SANCTIFICATION?" 

Sanctification denotes in a general sense the ceremo- 
nial or ritual consecration of a person or thing to God ; 
but in a particular and doctrinal sense, the making truly 
and perfectly hoi}' what was before polluted and defiled. 
To be wholly sanctified means to be saved from all sin ; 
to be pure in heart ; to enjoy such a state of Christian 
experience as to be entirely separated from the world 
and redeemed from every stain and pollution of sin ; so 



94 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

that we live no longer to ourselves, but are wholly con- 
secrated to the service of God. 

The doctrine of sanctification, or holiness, is the 
central idea of revealed religion, and is, therefore, of 
superior importance. The necessity of holiness is 
prominently set forth in the Old and New Testament. 
"And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a 
holy nation." Ex. 19. 6. "For I am the Lord your 
God : ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye 
shall be holy ; for I am holy." Lev. 11. 44, 45 ; Isa. 
62. 12. " Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of 
the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of 
Ood." 2 Cor. 7. 1. "For this is the will of God, even 
your sanctification." 1 Thess. 4. 3. "Follow peace 
with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall 
see the Lord." Heb. 12. 14. 

The great and glorious object of the advent of the 
Son of God upon earth was to " destroy the works of 
the devil " (1 John 3. 8), to "save his people from their 
their sins " (Matt. 1. 21), to "redeem us from all iniqui- 
ty, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous 
of good works " (Tit. 2. 14), "that he might present it 
to himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or 
wrinkle, or any such thing ; but that it should be holy 
and without blemish." Eph. 5. 27. 

It is not only the inestimable privilege, but the 
solemn and imperative duty of every believer to be 
entirely holy. Believers must be washed from all the 
impurities of sin, be cleansed from all filthiness of the 
flesh and spirit, and be redeemed from every affection 
and desire, which are contrary to the law and will of 
£rod. They are, therefore, commanded to " be holy " 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 95 

(1 Pet. 1. 14-16), to "put off, concerning the former 
conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according 
to the deceitful lust" (Eph. 4. 22 ; Col. 3. 10), to "lay 
aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily 
beset us" (Heb. 12. 1), and "to keep themselves un- 
spotted from the world " (Jas. 1. 27) ; for no " unclean 
person hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ 
and of God" (Eph. 5. 5), yea, only the "pure in heart 
shall see God." Matt. 5. 8. 

That there is generally, if not always, something 
remaining in the believer, after his conversion, that is, 
that everything is not in perfect order and harmony 
immediately in regeneration as it should be, — no mat- 
ter whether that discord, or the cause of it, exists in 
the spirit, in the soul, or in the body, — and whether we 
denominate that something, "original sin," "indwelling 
sin," "moral depravity," "remains of the carnal mind," or 
by whatever name we please, it is an undeniable fact, it 
exists somewhere, as frequently indicated in the Word 
of God, and as verified and corroborated by the almost, 
if not quite, uniform experience of all believers in 
every period of the world. But whatever disorder may 
remain, thank God, there is a "fountain opened to the 
house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem for 
sin and uncleanness (Zech. 13. 1.), which cleanseth 
from all pollution ; for the Lord is not only willing to 
pardon sin, when a person comes in the proper disposi- 
tion of mind and heart, but also to "cleanse from all 
unrighteousness " (1 John 1. 9), — to "purify the heart " 
(Acts 15. 9) ; for "the blood of Jesus Christ the Son 
of God cleanseth from all sin" (1 John 1. 7) ; "and 
every one that hath this hope in him, (of being a Son 



96 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

of God and of being finally glorified), purifieth himself 
even as he is pure. Whoso commiteth sin transgresseth 
the law ; for sin is the transgression of the law. And 
ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins : 
and in him is no sin." 1 John 3. 3-5. 

After giving denominational testimonies from nine 
different denominations, Mr. Rhoads proceeds to say : 
In the following particulars all orthodox Christian 
denominations agree on this doctrine. 

First : That man is naturally unholy. 

Secondly : That no unholy person can enter into the 
kingdom of heaven. 

Thirdly : That no man can make himself holy. 

Fourthly : That the blood of Jesus Christ is the only 
remedy to make man holy. 

Fifthly : That man must be made holy, be entirely 
sanctified, before he can gain admittance into the pres- 
ence of God. 

All parties, therefore, agree in those points which 
constitute the most important and essential features, 
the substance of the doctrine, and the only questions 
remaining for consideration are, concerning the time 
and form, when and how it is accomplished. In these 
respects, I concede, there prevail various and even con- 
flicting opinions among the different denominations, as 
may be seen in their writings on this subject. With 
regard to the time, some affirm that it is consummated 
immediately before, or in death ; others, that it is pos- 
sible at any time, long anterior as well as immediately 
before or in death. The latter contend, that, if it is pos- 
sible for a person to be wholly sanctified one moment 
prior to death, it is equally possible, days, weeks, 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 97 

months, and even years previously. They say, with 
God all things are possible. Matt. 19. 26. He is not 
limited to any particular time, and as He is a perfectly 
holy Buing, and desires that all believers should be 
entirely holy (1 Pet. 1. 16), not only at some future 
period, but even now, and as He must effect the work, 
He will accomplish it in every heart, as soon as a per- 
son is in the proper state of mind, and complies witk 
the conditions of the Gospel. This view of the subject 
seems reasonable, and is, in my opinion, correct and 
Scriptural. It is true, the Holy Scriptures do not 
specify in so many words, the particular period in 
which the work is finally consummated : but their 
whole tenor seems to favor this view. 

That entire sanctification may be obtained by every 
believer, at any time 'previous to death, is quite evident, 
from the apostle's prayer in behalf of the Thessalonians : 
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly ; and 
I pray God, your whole spirit, and soul, and body, be 
preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus 
Christ." 1 Thess. 5. 23. We learn from this petition 
the following particulars : 

First : That the Thessalonians, or at least a portion 
of them, were not wholly sanctified. 

Secondly : That the Apostle believed that they could 
be wholly sanctified. 

Thirdly : That they could be wholly sanctified at the 
time he prayed for them. 

Fourthly : That after their entire sanctification they 
could live "blameless" in the sight of God, or how 
else is the following language to be understood, " Your 



98 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

whole spirit, and soul, and body, be ^preserved blameless 
unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" ? 

With regard to the form, the inquiry arises : is sanc- 
tification a gradual or instantaneous work ? It is, 
beyond controversy, both. It commences simultane- 
ously with justification and regneration, and must 
ultimately, at one period or the other, reach the same 
perfectness. No one ever obtained entire sanctification 
in whom it was not previously gradually and progres- 
sively developed, to what degree, and for how long a 
period, I will not presume to specify ; and on the other 
liand, no one ever experienced it gradually, in whom it 
was not, at one time or another, instantaneously consum- 
mated. The development is invariably gradual, the 
consummation always, sooner or later, instantaneous. In 
my view, it is entirely unnecessary to dispute about 
nice distinctions at all. It is of pre-eminent import- 
ance, however, that every one should diligently seek 
with all the heart to be redeemed " wholly " from all 
remains of the " carnal mind," from " all evil," no mat- 
ter how and when it is obtained ; but the sooner it is 
gained the better it is in all respects. Be the change 
instantaneous or gradual, never rest till it is wrought 
in your own soul, if you desire to be fully qualified for 
eternal glory. — 

From among the fathers who still linger with us, at 
the time of this writing, comes the voice of 

REV. W. W. ORWIG, 

T1THO for years served as Editor of the Christliche 

Botschafter, also as Publishing Agent, and as 

JBishop. His views, as held in 1869, are stated thus : 



THE YOICE OF THE CHURCH. 99 

Holiness is the required qualification for God's ser- 
vice and for usefulness in this life, and the only qual- 
ification for the inheritance of the saints in light. 
"Be ye holy, for I am holy," saith the Lord God of 
hosts. Without holiness none shall see his face. 

Holiness, then, being of such moment to every fol- 
lower of Jesus, who would not rejoice at every effort 
put forth for its promotion ? In view of this I rejoice 
in the success of the Living Epistle. I trust it will be 
a powerful means for the promotion of holiness in the 
Church. 

I thank God for sparing me to see the day when so 
many witnesses in the Evangelical Association testify 
their belief in, and cherish the doctrine of, Sanctification 
as taught by the fathers of our Church and expounded 
in our book of Discipline. In "the early days of my 
ministerial life this doctrine received much more attention, 
both by preachers and people than in later years. At 
<?amp and quarterly meetings, particularly, always one 
•or more sermons were preached on holiness, Christian 
perfection, or perfect love, and frequently with great 
effect. There was also much earnest prayer and sup- 
plication for the blessing of sanctification, no one sup- 
posing that this blessing was generally obtained in con- 
version. Indeed I never heard this idea advanced in 
our Church until of late years, although perfect victory 
over sin, and the possibility of believers living without 
committing sin, even from the day of their conversion, 
was always contended for. I shall never forget the 
power manifested under the preaching of some of the 
fathers on this subject in my early days ; and the effect 
of those sermons was not merely a surprise at the 



100 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

eloquence of the preacher, but was also practically 
manifested in the life and devotedness of the members 
of the Church. Since that time we have had our trials 
with regard to the glorious doctrine of sanctification ; 
nevertheless the old standard is victorious and prevails. 
The many mighty voices in the Church in favor of it,, 
prove this assertion. 

INSTRUCTIONS TO SEEKERS OF ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION. 

In his book entitled "Die Heilsfuelle," Bro. Orwig 
gives directions to seekers, in the following words : 

If you need more light on certain points, pray to God 
for it. If you lack determination, courage and faith,, 
cry to God for help, with the perseverance of Jacob. 
Unite prayer with searching the Scriptures, and the use 
of all the means of grace ; and employ every help in 
order to obtain the desired blessing. Besides the Bible, 
suitable hymns, and verses of hymns, may be a means 
of encouragement. The reading of books, periodicals, 
tracts, etc., on the subject may be a help. The Bible, 
however, must always be considered as the principal 
source of instruction on this, as on all other points of 
doctrine respecting our salvation. 

Have a single eye, and be sincere before God and man, 
in your searchings and prayer with regard to this highly 
important subject. Conceal nothing, hold nothing* 
back, evade no known duty, spare no passion, renounce 
every sinful indulgence, remembering that God will not 
hear us if we regard iniquity in our hearts. We must 
be conscious that we are sincere before God and man, 
and that we desire to be saved, and remain saved from 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 101 

all sin. If this be the case, then we are only one step 
from the land of entire purity and rest. 

But you must consider that without faith the 
specified preparation for sanctification will avail noth- 
ing. The most accurate knowledge of the subject, the 
profoundest sense of our natural depravity and our 
need of thorough cleansing, all penitence and confes- 
sion, resignation and consecration, together with the 
most earnest supplication and prayer, will be without 
effect if we lack faith. 

If the proper state of mind is attained, that is, if we 
have arrived at the borders of the promised land of 
rest, from internal enemies, and the enjoyment of per- 
fect love — the fulness of God — then it is our priv- 
ilege by one further act of faith to obtain the blessing — 
to enter into the land and possess it. And this last 
happy step across the boundary into the promised land, 
is in most cases not as difficult as many of the preced- 
ing steps of our journey have been. We need only to 
will and to venture, trusting in the mercy and faithful- 
ness of God, and the work is done. Such faith the 
Lord requires of all his children, and it is impossible 
to none. 

To believe that God has promised this great blessing, 
that he is able and willing to impart it, and that he will 
impart it in due season, is not all of that faith which is 
required to secure the blessing. More is required. We 
must come, as in justification, to the present tense, 
namely, that he will do it now. More than this, that he 
actually does it now. To beiieve that he will do it is all 
right at its proper time, but it is not the whole of the 
requisite faith to secure the blessing. When we believe 



102 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

and feel that we are near the goal, we have achieved a 
great victory, but if we go no further it will profit us 
nothing. What would it profit a man if*he almost came 
into the possession of a great earthly treasure, or even 
almost reached heaven, if he finally failed to enjoy it ? 
The application is easy. 

All who have been converted or justified, reached a 
point of time in their penitential struggle, when they 
by faith obtained the pardon of their sins, and were 
adopted into the family of God as children. When did 
they reach that point ? Was it not when they believed? 
Not before, but as won as they believed. Exactly so it 
is in the struggle for entire sanctification. The order 
and nature of faith is the same, the difference is in the 
object aimed at. In conversion this is justification and 
regeneration ; in sanctification it is entire cleansing 
from indwelling sin and perfecting in love. 

Now if the penitent under the guilt and burden of 
sin, without much experience in regard to the work and 
ways of God, may exercise faith to the removal of his 
sins and obtain peace and consolation, why should he,, 
after such experience and knowledge with regard to the 
plan of salvation, and God's willingness to hear and 
answer prayer, not be able to exercise that faith which, 
secures entire purification ? Is God not as willing and 
able to fully sanctify his children as to pardon and 
renew the penitent ? Does he not declare our sanc- 
tification to be his will ? 

We doubt not the fulfilling of a promise made by a 
well-tried friend — we place full confidence in his word. 
But our friend is a feeble, fallible mortal, and he might 
possibly fail to fulfil his promise. He might be over- 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 103 

come by temptation to break his word, or if ever so 
faithful and willing, not be able to fulfil it. But this 
qannot be the case with God, our best friend. He is 
immutable, and can in no wise be prevented from fulfill- 
ing his promise, if our unbelief prevent him not. 

But whatever may hinder us and protract our con- 
flict for entire sanctification, the sincere seeker will 
finally succeed if he persevere. Let him only guard 
against the mistaken notion that his success lies in the 
distant future — that w T eeks, months and even years 
may pass before he will be able to realize it. This is 
an artifice of the devil, whereby innumerable multitudes 
have been deceived. If we earnestly seek the blessing, 
without which we never shall obtain it, we must expect 
it daily, hourly, 3 T ea, momentarily. Those who desire 
more time, have not yet fully discovered their need ; 
are not yet tired enough of inbred sin, and lack earnest- 
ness in seeking deliverance therefrom. 

Those who hunger and thirst after the full salvation 
of God, count the days and hours for their deliverance 
from their inward tormenting foes, and for the full 
baptism of the Spirit and power of their Redeemer. 
Den} T me what thou wilt, my God, only not this, is 
the language of their souls. They willingly consecrate 
and risk all in order to obtain this precious treasure. 
Nothing on earth or in heaven, seems sufficient to them 
to mitigate the heart-wound, to fill the heart-void but 
God and his full salvation. Those who await the 
blessing in such a frame of mind, and with such a 
desire by faith, need in no case wait long for it. 

If the reader be a seeker of this great salvation, will 
he permit us to put the following questions to him : 



104 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

Do you comprehend what is meant by entire sanc- 
tification ? Do you feel the need of it ? Do you 
desire it with all your heart, and are you willing to 
accept it on any terms ? Are you determined to avoid 
all manner of sin before God and man and to continue 
in praj 7 er and supplication by faith until you have 
succeeded ? Have you made a full consecration of 
yourself and yours, your property, your gifts and 
talents, your time, your influence and honor — your all; 
and are you determined never to take anything back ? 
Is this your will, your feeling, }^our determination? 
Are you resolved to live and die with this mind ? Do 
you expect sanctification by faith alone ? Do you ex- 
pect it to-day, now? Do you expect it as a work of 
the Holy Spirit applying the blood of Jesus to your 
soul ? Do you expect with it a fuller baptism of the 
Holy Ghost than you ever experienced before ? Do 
you expect besides, a cleansing from all inward pollution 
of sin, an increase of love toward God and man, of 
spiritual gifts, and an improvement of all the Christian 
virtues, etc. ? All this you may expect with certainty, 
if you exercise the requisite faith for the attainment 
of entire sanctification. If you seek it by earnest 
prayer, and expect it by faith, it must be and will be 
your portion. Heaven and earth will pass away, but 
the word and promises of God will remain forever. 
Do you believe this ? "All things are possible to him 
that believeth." Do you believe now ? If you do you 
are not disappointed, you have the blessing, and you 
know and feel it. You need now not be told to give 
God the glory. The grace of God in your heart will 
incite you to this. You will speak out of the abun- 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 105 

dance of the heart, and be constrained to cry out in the 
language of the Psalmist : 

" Bless the Lord, my soul ; and all that is within 
me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, my soul, 
and forget not all his benefits : who forgiveth all thine 
iniquities ; who healeth all thy diseases ; who re- 
deemeth thy life from destruction ; who crowneth thee 
with loving kindness and tender mercies ; who satisfieth 
thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is re- 
newed like the eagle's." 

JUSTIFICATION, REGENERATION AND SANCTIFICATION. 

Concerning these doctrines I quote from the same 
author, as follows : In the glorious and happy state of 
the justified and regenerated Christian, although he 
have not yet attained unto entire sanctification, he 
has forgiveness of his sins, is in possession of peace 
with God, comfort and joy in the Holy Ghost — is a 
child of God, and has a right to the heavenly inherit- 
ance. The power of sin or of his spiritual malady is 
broken, and he is placed in a state of spiritual security. 
The desires, inclinations and emotions of his soul are 
changed and have been turned in a different direction. 
The preponderance of the same is against sin and for 
God. He has power to reign over sin arid to lead a 
holy life. 

But, as in the case of a person recovering from a 
dangerous bodily malady, although the disease be 
broken, the pain greatly alleviated and the danger 
turned away, he is not yet freed from all the symptoms 
and after-pains of the disease, and not yet fully restor- 
ed to health ; so it is with the Christian recovering from 



106 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

the malady of sin. In justification and regeneration 
the disorder of the soul, caused by sin, is generally 
not fully extirpated, the impurity of the disease not 
entirely purged out. There yet exists some impure 
moral fluid or ingredient which causes more or less dis- 
comfort, and if the proper treatment be neglected, may 
easily grow worse and frustrate the progress already 
gained, as is often the case in bodily diseases, followed 
by sudden death. This ingredient may, by the great 
change effected in a sound conversion, have been driven 
in the background, so as not to be apprehended or felt 
for a while. Or, to speak without a figure, the remain- 
ing disorder of the passions, or the sinful propensities, 
of whatever kind they may be, as self-love, love of 
the world, pride, envy, anger, revenge, impatience, etc.,, 
may, by the change of the inner man in regeneration, 
have been so dislodged that they for the time being- 
appear entirely eradicated. Everything in the soul 
may seem pure and good, and the convert consider him- 
self fully saved from inward as well as from outward 
sin. But he generally soon discovers his mistake, and 
finds that the old man — his sinful nature — has not 
yet fully expired. 

True, the guilt of sin is forgiven, its penalty is- 
removed, its power is broken, its dominion has ceased, 
and the love of sin is rooted out. In a deliverance 
from sin in justification and regeneration, to such an 
extent, we believe. But where do we find evidence 
that every sinful desire, propensity and emotion is 
entirely eradicated in conversion ? Or where is it 
proven that the heart, the mind and the senses — soul 
and body — are perfectly cleansed from all moral de- 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 107 

filement, from every sinful pollution in or at the time 
of justification and regeneration ? That the entirely 
sanctified Christian enjoys such a state of purity, 
and that it is the duty and privilege of every Christian 
to attain to such a state we readily admit. But of 
newly converted Christians, or babes in Christ, such a 
state of perfection is generally not expected, nor is it 
proven by the experience of Christians in general. 

Nevertheless all are admonished to follow after holi- 
ness, without which no man shall see the Lord. How 
soon after conversion this state of grace may be obtained 
depends upon the knowledge of its nature and necessity, 
and the manner of its attainment, together with the 
sincerity and earnestness with which it is sought. Those 
who seek it by unwavering faith in Christ, will find it. 
Reader, remember, by faith we are justified, sanctified 
and saved. — 

Another voice, mild, tremulous, but positive, arrests 
my attention, and as I look I see the slender form and 
pleasant countenance of 

REV. CHARLES HAMMER. 

T)RO. HAMMER was for many years connected with 
the publishing interests of our Church. As I listen 
to his voice on the subject of holiness, I hear him in a 
letter, which he published in 1881, give the follow- 
ing clear statement and testimony : 

In the early part of my ministry in the Evangelical 
Association I was personally acquainted with all the 
itinerant ministers of our Church that were then in 
active service ; also with a majority of those that were 
in active service before my time, but who had already 



108 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

located, either on account of bodily infirmities or family 
circumstances ; and, as far as the fundamental doctrines 
of our holy religion are concerned, namely the doctrine 
of original sin, justification by faith, regeneration, and 
entire sanctification, there was, generally speaking, but 
one voice. All believed in these fundamental doc- 
trines, and, if any one deviated and preached an 
erroneous doctrine, he was soon brought to account, 
and, if he was not willing to recant, he was forthwith 
silenced. Thus several of our most talented ministers 
were lost to our Church fifty years ago. There was not 
that diversit}^ of opinion among us with regard to the 
doctrine of entire sanctification as there has been since 
and is at the present time. 

Now, I would ask, what is the cause of all this ? 
There is certainly a reason for it. The doctrine of 
entire sanctification, as it is contained in our Discipline, 
under the heading, " Christian Perfection," found no 
opposition among our ministry in the early history of 
our Church. They believed in the doctrine, advocated 
it and labored to lead the believers to that holiness of 
heart and life without which no man can see the Lord. 
They studied it as it was taught by the founders of 
our Church. They were not ignorant of the expert- 
ence those holy men of God — namely, Albright, Miller, 
and others — had with regard to this matter. Their 
life had been published, and was read and studied with 
the greatest interest, both by the ministers and the laity. 
The doctrine could be preached without offending any, 
save Satan and his adherents. The result was that not 
only sinners were converted, but believers sanctified 
and established upon the Rock of Ages, and thus 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 109 

enabled to endure steadfast unto the end. How differ- 
ent it is now ! There is no doctrinal point more dis- 
cussed in the present age than the doctrine of entire 
sanctification, and none finds greater opposition, not- 
withstanding it is one of the most essential and impor- 
tant as well as one of the most glorious doctrines of the 
Bible. It would seem that, with all the advancement 
the Church has made since those early days, in this one 
particular it has been, in a general way, retrograding. 
If the article on Christian Perfection, as contained in 
our Church Discipline, were more thoroughly studied by 
our ministry in general, and an experimental knowledge 
of it derived by making a full surrender and exercising 
a living faith in the blood of the atonement, there 
would certainty be a different state of things in the 
Church. This Article is clear, sound, logical and 
Scriptural. If such a course were pursued by all, then 
the teaching among us would be uniform, as it by all 
means should be. Our people would not be so apt to 
get confused with regard to this matter, for they would 
get all necessary light on the subject, and the battle- 
cry throughout the whole Church would be, " Onward I 
Holiness unto the Lord ! " Thousands of souls would 
be saved, who otherwise fall into a state of lethargy, 
hinder their own usefulness, and lose their souls. 
What a power the Church would be if all her ministers 
were clothed with holiness, and were uniform in their 
teachings concerning this doctrine ! 

HOLINESS, HALF A CENTURY AGO. 

At the time I became a member of the Evangelical 
Association, fifty-six years ago, there was a general 



110 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

longing after purity of heart, at least where I was 
acquainted. The class to which I belonged, with its 
leader, was wide awake on the subject. Nearly every 
member was engaged in seeking the blessing, and 
among them, also, the writer. A more united effort for 
full salvation is seldom witnessed than was manifested 
in this class. 

I was afterwards a member of a class in Lebanon, 
Pa., which was led by Bro. H. Fisher, who, in after 
years, up to the day of his death, was editor of the 
Evangelical Messenger. He urged the great necessity 
of seeking holiness of heart and life. He took the lead 
and said, "Come" and the flock followed, him, and, oh, 
what an exemplary class it was ! It is known that Bro. 
Fisher, in after years, during his ministerial and edito- 
rial career, was one of the strongest advocates in the 
Church of entire sanctification. 

It cannot, however, be denied, that, in former as well 
as in later years, the good work has suffered more or 
less in consequence of those who made a loud profes- 
sion, of entire sanctification, but did not live up to it. 
Their life and conduct did not correspond with their 
profession. Then others, who had an erroneous con- 
ception of the work, went altogether to the other ex- 
treme, and thus great injury has been done to the 
cause. Such characters as above mentioned have 
always been a stumbling-block in the way, so that weak 
Christians have been offended and have fallen into 
skepticism with regard to the doctrine. But is it not 
great folly to take such characters as examples ? Why 
not look upon Christ and his apostles ? Why not look 
upon such, in our day, as not only profess to have 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. Ill 

Tealized the blessing of entire sanctification, but who also 
manifest in their lives that they are saved — that they 
are devoted to the Lord — and that it is their meat and 
drink to do the will of their heavenly Father ? Why 
not take such as examples ? Thank God that we are 
blessed with such, both among the ministry and laity, 
and they are shining lights in the world, and follow the 
Lamb whithersoever he goeth. May the number in- 
crease, and the work of holiness spread throughout the 
length and breadth of our Church. 

These are plain and valuable words from one whose 
whole life has been devoted to the interests of his 
Church in the furtherance of Christ's cause ; and who 
always speaks soberly and thoughtfully. 

Let us hear him further. In 1874, he wrote as 
follows : 

.... The doctrine of entire sanctification, or holi- 
ness of heart and life, is certainly no new doctrine 
among us. I have the honor of having been a member 
for nearly fifty years, and have served God and the 
Church, in a public capacity, for the last forty-five 
years, and I can testify to the fact that this doctrine 
was preached and practiced when I first became a mem- 
ber. I may also add that I never heard it preached 
with more power and demonstration of the Spirit than 
I did then. It also had a wonderful effect, so that 
members were engaged in seeking the blessing, with 
whom, thank God, the writer took an active part, even 
before he entered upon his public ministrations. Many 
also realized the blessing, who have long since gone to 
their eternal home, while others are still faithfully mov- 
ing onward, soon to strike the other shore. 



112 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 



ERRORS AND THEIR EFFECTS. 

I admit that from the year 1833, or 1834, the same 
attention was not paid to the subject as before, or as 
has been the case within the last fifteen or twenty 
years. I might give various reasons for this, but wilL 
merely give what I consider the most prominent one. 
The matter had been carried altogether to extremes by 
many of the advocates of holiness, and the conse- 
quence was, that some had fallen into gross errors and 
brought reproach upon the good cause. 

One of these errors was, that a wholly sanctified per- 
son could not sin any more, he was out of danger • 
Satan had lost his power forever over him. The lan- 
guage of one to me, was, "I can never fall into sin, I 
am wholly sanctified, I am always happy, my eternal 
salvation is sealed." This was an elderly person of 
considerable experience and influence, and it was only 
one out of many that had fallen into this great error. 
Besides this, some had become real fanatics ; many- 
left the Church, and others had to be expelled. 

The result was that the Church had, more or less,, 
fallen into the other extreme, so that for some years the 
subject was not agitated, and impressed upon the 
minds of believers as it should have been, although, as 
a general thing, the whole counsel of God was preached 
by our ministers, and that with good success. 

From the above facts we may learn how necessary it 
is that we guard against extremes in any doctrinaL 
point. Experience has taught us that if people get 
too much excited on the subject of holiness (or any 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 113 

other subject. H. J. B.), they are in great danger of 
going to extremes ; but there is also great danger of 
professors of religion being too indifferent with regard 
to this important matter. No wonder that so many 
do not enjoy themselves in the sweet comforts of our 
holy religion as they should ; yea. no wonder that so 
many backslide after having found Jesus precious to 
their souls. 

[It is a great pity, indeed, that u errors," "extremes'," 
and "fanaticism," should ever creep into any move- 
ment that is devoted to the spread of holiness ; but 
such is often the case, and, while these evils must be 
pointed out, and guarded against, they furnish no excuse 
whatever for neglecting the duty of striving after perfect 
love, and of urging believers to become partakers of the 
same, H. J. B.] 

THE NEW CONVERT'S FIRST DUTY. 

The first thing to be considered by the new convert, 
ought to be, How may I now be cleansed from inward 
corruption, and made holy in heart and life ? How 
may I make a full and entire consecration, so as to be 
wholly devoted to the Lord ? How may I attain to 
that higher state in the Christian life, in which I may 
be able to love the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind, 
might and strength, and nry neighbor as myself? 
How may I become useful and exert a good and whole- 
some influence among my fellow-men ? 

Such, or like questions ought to be made, not only 
by converts, but also by old professors who are not in 
possesion of entire sanctification ; and, at the same time' 
proper efforts should be made to obtain the blessing. If this* 



114 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

was the case there would not be so much backsliding, 
not so much worldly-mindedness, nor indifference about 
religion, not so much fault-finding and criticism with 
regard to the subject of sanctification. Oh, what a 
blessing it would be if all, preachers and people, would 
take the above course ! Then there would be unity of 
spirit and sentiment among us, and discussions on the 
subject of holiness would cease ; perfect love would 
rule and reign within us, and we would be wholly the 
Lord's We have great reason to be thank- 
ful to God that our Church has been waked up on this 
subject, and within the last few years more so than ever 
before, and I trust the good work will go on and con- 
tinue to spread until the holy fire shall burn through- 
out the length and breadth of the entire Church. 

HOW ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION IS OBTAINED. 

I wish yet to touch on a point connected with the 
above, which I consider of great importance, and that 
is, the manner in which the blessing of entire sanc- 
tification is obtained. It is said to be obtained 
through faith ; that we must believe, etc. Now this 
I will not dispute, but the question is, Who is it that 
can believe ? Who is it that can lay hold of God's 
promises, by faith, and say, It will and must be done ? 
Certainly not the one who has not a proper knowledge 
of himself and his inward depravity. I have frequently 
heard sermons on the subject of sanctification, in which 
but very little if anything was said on this point. 

I once attended a series of holiness meetings which 
were conducted by two prominent, and no doubt, holy 
•persons. There was much said that was very good, but 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 115 

very little of the preparation of heart necessary, in 
order to have the blood of Christ applied to a thorough 
cleansing. Professors were invited forward to the 
altar, and many came, evening after evening. It was 
impressed upon them to believe, to exercise faith, etc., 
and a number professed to have found the blessing. 
But in my estimation the work was too superficial, 
because of a want of a proper preparation of heart to 
make a complete surrender. In my estimation it is just 
as necessary for a believer to know and to feel his in- 
ward depravity, in order to be able to give himself 
wholly to the Lord, and to have the blood of Christ 
applied by faith, to the cleansing of his heart, as it is 
for the sinner to know and to feel his sins, in order to 
believe and to find pardon. 

PREMATURE PROFESSIONS. 

It is a lamentable fact that the cause has suffered 
much on account of so many that made a loud profes- 
sion of entire sanctification when they had only learned 
the first principles of the Christian religion. There is 
no consistency in making such a profession as long as 
unbelief, pride, anger, self-will, envy, coveteousness, 
worldly-mindedness, etc., show themselves, and have 
the ascendency, or when there is no fervency, unction, 
or power in our public exercises, as in praying, exhort- 
ing, preaching, etc., — when we are wavering, not 
established, weak in faith, without a burning zeal for 
God, and for the salvation of mankind. As long as we 
are thus defective, we ought not to make any preten- 
sions to having attained to a higher state in the Chris- 
tian life. We must know and feel our unworthiness, our 



116 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

entire nothingness, the stains which sin has left within 
us ; the sin which doth so easily beset us. In order 
to obtain this knowledge, it is necessary, often, to look 
into the depths of our hearts, and at the same time 
ask God in fervent prayer for light and understanding. 
Sometimes it is even necessary to take recourse to 
abstinence, and to fasting. Whoever pursues this 
course will sooner or later be prepared to plunge into 
the fountain filled with blood, he being willing to give 
up all for Christ, to lay all upon the altar, and then 
take hold, by faith, of God's promises, and thus the 
work will be completed. God will do it by the opera- 
tion of his Holy Spirit ; then we will be holy in all 
manner of conversation, fully possessed of God and 
his love, and show by our walk and conduct, and by all 
we do that we are the Lord's. 

Then let us proclaim to all around us what the Lord 
has done for us, and we shall bring honor to the doc- 
trine, and to the cause of Christ in general. 

In conclusion I would yet add that no minister of the 
Gospel can do the work fully which God has assigned him y 
unless he enjoys the blessing of entire sanctification. Nei- 
ther can any professed Christian live fully in accordance 
with the teachings of our blessed Saviour and hi's apostles 
without it. Now since this is a fact which cannot be 
denied, let all obey the divine injunction : " Follow 
peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man 
shall see the Lord." 

I have taken the liberty to italicise a few sentences, 
m order to fix the attention of the reader upon these 
striking points which deserve more than a mere passing 
notice, t 



THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH. 117 

I next introduce from the pen of Father Hammer a 
brief sketch of 

REV. JACOB SCHNERR 

and his relation to the holiness work. The writer says : 
Rev. Jacob Schnerr, who labored with great success as 
an itinerant preacher, among us, from 1829 to 1838, 
when his health failed, was not only a holy and devoted 
man of God himself, but he also preached holiness of 
heart and life, and urged the belivers to seek this in- 
estimable blessing without delay. Concerning this 
work I here give a few items from his own journal. 
At one place he writes of a powerful meeting which he 
had August 20, 1833, at Lebanon, Pa. On this occa- 
sion he preached from this text ; " Is not my word like 
as a fire ? saith the Lord ; and like a hammer that 
breaketh the rock in pieces ?" Jer. 23. 29. The fol- 
lowing day he conducted a class meeting, of which he 
says : "It was a wonderful time." He there urged the 
necessity of entire sanctification, and, "quite a number 
engaged in seeking the blessing, some of whom found 
it during that sendee ; " and of others he says, "I hope 
they will continue their pursuit of it, until they also 
realize the cleansing power of Jesus' blood." 

At another time, on this same circuit, he came to a 
place where we had a flourishing society, but a num- 
ber of the members had fallen into great errors regard- 
ing the doctrine of entire sanctification. It grieved 
Bro. Schnerr very much when he learned this fact. So 
he visited them and tried his utmost to convince them 
of their errors, but he could do nothing with them. 
Then he said, " There is no other way, I must preach on 



118 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

the subject.'' This he did, and his sermon seems to 
have been very powerful and convincing, for these 
errorists could not withstand it. " They yielded, and 
were set right again." 

He did not then, on account of the errors into which 
some had fallen, cease to preach and urge the people 
forward to holiness, but having exposed their errors, he 
says he " urged the necessity of seeking the blessing 
of sanctification." Father Hammer closes this sketch 
by saying, "Many instances might be mentioned of his 
wonderful success in building up the cause of Christ ; 
but those already mentioned will serve to show that he 
was an advocate of the doctrine of holiness.' , 

It is worthy of note that the methods of this remark- 
able man of God were very much like those employed 
at present by the so-called holiness people. He urged 
the people at once to seek entire sanctiiication, and to 
seek until they realized it. 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 119 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 

TN speaking of the voice of the press I refer especially 

to the periodical publications of the Evangelical 
Association, through which most of the voices that 
speak in this book first came to our ears. 

Many excellent things have been said on the subject 
of holiness, through the Evangelical Messenger, and the 
Christliche Botsckafter. And, some of our best selec- 
tions have been gathered from these great and influen- 
tial Church organs. 

But it is well known that the Evangelical Associa^ 
tion has taken a step in advance of her sister denom- 
inations in publishing a special Holiness Periodical as 
An Official Organ. 

This magazine — The hiving Epistle — was founded in 
1869 by several brethren who felt called to do some- 
thing special to help forward the great u holiness move- 
ment," which begun about that time to make itself felt 
in the Churches. 

After a successful career of nearly three years, under 
the management of its founders, the General Confer- 
ence assembled, at Naperville, 111., in the month of 
October, A. D. 1871, purchased this monthly, and 
elected an editor for it. This was done, with a thorough 
knowledge of the radical character of its teachings on 
holiness. The editor then elected (Rev. Jacob Young) 
was also known to the Church as a radical teacher, and 
a professor of holiness. Thus the Church opened a 



120 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

new channel for the spreading of Scriptural holiness — 
a channel through which the voice of definite holiness 
teaching and testimony has been heard by thousands, 
and made an inexpressible blessing to hundreds, if not 
thousands. 

The reader will, therefore, pardon the frequent 
allusions to, and the numerous quotations from, this 
source, inasmuch as it contains so many of the deliver- 
ances of the Church on the all-important subject of 
Entire Sanctification. 

Besides the periodicals already mentioned, I have 
drawn also from the Evangelische Magazin, which, dur- 
ing its first years was not a general Family Magazine as 
it now is, having been more especially devoted to theol- 
ogy The first and second volumes of this excellent 
Monthly give great prominence to the subject of holi- 
ness, both editorially, and through some of its contribu- 
tors. A free translation of some of these editorials 
and articles is given in connection with other selec- 
tions as from " The Voice of the Press." 

The voices to w T hich the reader's attention is called, 
are chiefly from those lo3 r al leaders in the Church, whose 
ability, orthodoxy, and faithfulness have secured them 
the highest positions among us, and who have spoken 
freely on this subject, through the press. 

The name of Bishop J. J. Esher has already been in- 
troduced to the reader, in connection with his comments 
on our formulated statements of the doctrine of holi- 
ness, and his authorship of the new edition of our Cate- 
chism. But we must let him speak again, for he gener- 
ally speaks wisely and well. 

Of him Rev. W. W. Orwig wrote thus, in 1873: — 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 121 

£i As to doctrine, the bishop is eminently orthodox 
according to the creed of his Church, and he has, since 
his connection with it, always been a believer and a 
defender of the doctrine of holiness and Christian "per- 
fection as held by it. Of late years, particularly has he 
preached much on entire consecration and sanctification, 
to the edification and encouragement of all who were in 
sympathy with the glorious holiness movement of our 
time, and with holiness in general." 

From the Bishop's pen I find the following, published 
in 1869 :— 

SANCTIFICATION — ITS CONDITION. 

/^vUR sanctification is of God ; it is founded in his be- 
ing and will, and he is its source. His word com- 
mands it, and teaches what it is. Christ, who by his 
sacrificial death and his resurrection and glorification, 
is the meritorious and mediatorial cause, the author of 
our sanctification, in his life upon earth, sets before us 
a real, life-like and perfect model of that holiness to 
which we, his followers, are called according to the will 
of God, which is our sanctification, wrought and estab- 
lished in us in divine reality by the Holy Spirit, who 
filleth us with the life, and light, and love of God. 

Being created in the image of God, we are susceptible 
of his life and his holiness. Corruption entered by the 
fall, but by the renewing wrought by the Holy Spirit in 
us in our regeneration, hy which we pass from death 
unto life, the new life-foundation of our entire sanctifi- 
cation and perfect holiness is laid in our hearts. Our 
sins are forgiven, and we are saved from the power and 
dominion of sin, standing in the grace of the new life, 



122 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

and walking in the light of the living God, and our 
Saviour, Jesus Christ ; in which light we know ourselves 
now as we could not know ourselves before regeneration. 
But we likewise know the will of God and the riches of 
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, with a far clearer 
knowledge than previous to our being brought from 
darkness into his marvelous light. 

Concomitant with this superior knowledge is the 
longing, earnest desire of the renewed believer to be the 
Lord's only, and to be his entirely and forever — to be 
made holy even as God, the object of his supreme love, 
is holy ; and to live in righteousness and holiness as it is 
pleasing in the sight of Him who hates every impurity 
and evil. In this knowledge, rooted in the experience 
of the new life, faith rises with a certainty and might 
such as was absolutely impossible before conversion. 
And thus the believer attains to that higher state of 
grace and divine life which is known as entire sanctifi- 
cation and Christian perfection, and implies : 

1. An entire separation from sin ; the purification, 
by the blood of Jesus, from all evil affections and desires 
included. 

2. Being filled, spirit, soul and body, with the love 
of God, the same quickening all the powers of life in us. 
for the service of Christ, governing our mind, will and 
affections, filling the mind with the light of the glory of 
God in the face of Jesus Christ, and the will with de- 
light and strength for the service of the Lord, and the 
affections with heavenly desires and enjoyment, so that 
we wholly live in God, and he in us. 

3. Connected with this inner holy state is a like holy 
practice in life, a godly walk and conversation, follow- 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 123 

ing Christ in his footsteps, yea, in Ms footsteps, and this 
not imaginarily but in reality, doing and suffering the 
will of God even as he did, still rising higher in this en- 
tire communion with God. 

CONSECRATION AND FAITH. 

The means by which we obtain this blessing — for a 
blessing it is, the gift of God by grace — is simply that 
faith which sees all this in Christ Jesus, and expects it 
momentarily from him as a perfect Redeemer; pro- 
vided, however, that the consecration which we have 
vowed in our repentance, and exercised as far as we had 
knowledge, has been steadfastly and faithfully practiced 
in the light which was given us, and as the light in 
which the believer stands is so much clearer and 
stronger than that of the penitent sinner, so likewise is 
the consecration with which the believer offers himself 
to God much more comprehensive, pure, intense and 
entire than that of the repenting sinner possibly could 
be. His surrender was more of fear, the thunders of 
Sinai chasing him, but the believer's consecration is 
that of love — of that love which would live and die for 
Jesus. The love which the Holy Ghost kindled in 
regeneration is the strong motive power which urges 
us almost irresistibly to lay ourselves upon the altar 
of Christ as a burnt-offering for the Holy One in 
Israel. This consecration of the believer is, indeed, the 
result of, and, therefore, similar to that of the penitent ; 
but it is at the same time different, for if it possesses 
the same elements, it certainly has them in a vastly dif- 
ferent proportion. The believer's sacrifice is emphat- 
ically a sacrifice of love, a desire of love, to love per- 



124 VOICES OF HOLINESS. 

fectly, a giving away of self by love, and a taking by 
that faith which reaches into the riches of Christ just 
so deep as the desire of the soul penetrates. 

He that gives himself thus to Christ and takes the 
offered treasures of grace in such a manner, will be filled 
with all the fulness of God, and transformed into the 
image of Christ, whose he is, "from glory to glory, even 
as by the Spirit of the Lord." 

EXPERIMENTAL AND PRACTICAL HOLINESS. 

TTNDER this title I find the following from the pen of 
R. Yeakel : — Christian Holiness is eminently experi- 
mental and practical. If we separate experience and 
practice, or substitute mere theory, we have but a mis- 
erable deformity. He who would have inward experi- 
ence only is an enthusiast, and he who would have 
practice only, is a pharisee, and the theorist deals in 
empty words and speculations. Holiness deals with 
facts and realities; it is a living truth— Christ the 
eternal Truth, who is our Sanctification, dwelling con- 
stantly in the heart by faith, and governing the whole 
life. Holiness does not spin cob-webs over our sin and 
depravity, but searches and reveals those things to their 
very depth as they are seen of God, and brings in 
Christ the mighty Sanctifier. The apostles of our 
Lord, who graduated in the school of Christ himself, 
and hence were master " Doctors of Divinity" treated 
this subject in a very practical way. They were " full 
of faith and the Holy Ghost," and apprehended the 
real condition of individuals and of churches under 
their care, not by superfine speculations and theories, 
but simply by looking at things in the light of God, 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 125 

as they were. And what did they see among the Chris- 
tians ? The}^ saw all the good already wrought in and 
among them, with grateful ascriptions of praise to 
God ; but they also saw that there was much carnality 
existing among believers, manifesting itself in "envy- 
ings, strife, and divisions;" that some who "for the 
time ought to be teachers," needed again a to lay the 
foundation," and that others conducted themselves in a 
manner not worthy of their high calling in Christ Jesus. 
This fact was so palpable that Paul feared he would 
find some of the churches far below the standard of 
holiness. — "For I fear, lest when I come, I shall not 
find you such as I would, and that I shall be found 
unto you, such as you would not ; lest there be debates, 
envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swell- 
ings, tumults." The apostles deeply and sorrowfully felt 
the stubborn fact that there was a great want of holiness 
among believers, and as sensible and practical men they 
accepted it as a fact, and labored accordingly, to 
remedy the evil. They did not spend either strength 
or time in critical discussions and disputes about the 
location, extent, etc., of the depravity in believers, or 
how it came there ; nor did they stop to split hairs 
about its gradual or instantaneous extirpation, but 
went straight at it. Hence they were very emphatic 
in telling believers that those remains of evil were con- 
irary to the truth as it is in Jesus, and insisted upon 
the utter eradication of all that was sinful, or had even 
the appearance of evil. They earnestly entreated them 
to " put off the old man," and to " cleanse themselves 
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holi- 
ness in the fear of God ; " so that they might " present 



126 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

every man perfect in Christ Jesus," and bring the 
Church a spotless bride into the presence of Christ. 

On the other hand, they offered and proclaimed 
Christ to believers as the only and all-sufficient source and 
fountain of holiness — "who gave himself for the 
Church that he might cleanse it;" — "who of God is 
made unto us Sanctification" — whose blood " cleanseth 
from all sin ; " asserting at the same time : " This is the 
will of God, even your Sanctification," and praying : 
"The very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I 
pray God your whole spirit, soul, and bod}', be preserved 
blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. " 
They required of believers a total separation from all 
evil, the mortification and death of the old man, and 
unreserved submission to him who died for them and 
rose again that the} r might live a life of continual faith 
and perfect holiness. These eminent men of God were 
earnest practical, holy Radicals, uncompromisingly at- 
tacking the "last and least remains of sin" wherever 
found among believers, and insisting on salvation "to 
the uttermost ! " 

Paul, who was himself a living example of entire 
holiness and Christian perfection, presented his own 
experience and state of grace, before his erring Galatian 
brethren in the following unsurpassable confession : "I 
am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live ; yet not I, 
but Christ liveth in me ; and the life that I now live in 
the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved 
me and gave himself for me." Gal. 2. 20. Here we 
have Christian holiness and perfection as realized by 
Paul, and urged by him in his writings and preaching, 
and boldly professed for an example to them that 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 127 

should believe. Here is no supposition, superficial 
feeling, "vain babbling," speculative theory, nor lab- 
yrinth of unwarranted inferences which confuse the 
mind and discourage the heart, but a live man filled and 
governed by Christ, who can positively and truthfully 
assert : " / can do all things through Christ, who 
strengthened me." How simple and clear, and .yet 
how sublime and powerful is this confession ! Being 
crucified with Christ, the death of the selfish self, and the 
full life of Christ within were in Paul practical, radical — 
we might almost say, tangible realities ! Most glorious 
fact ! May it be repeated in all preachers of the 
Gospel and professors of Christianity ! 

And now we would ask in all seriousness : Is there 
any other holiness or any way of obtaining it except 
this thorough, old Evangelical and Apostolical, practical 
one, that will answer the purpose ? Or is indeed, 
in our day of spiritual superficial^ " the congrega- 
tion holy, every one of them'?'' — as the rebels Korah, 
Dathan and Abiram said to Moses with reference to the 
stiff-necked people of Israel. Far from it. Is there a 
true servant of Christ who does not to his heart's sor- 
row perceive the great want of holiness in the Church ? 
How prevalent are doubt and unbelief ; how distressing 
envyings and strife ; how rampant the weeds of pride 
and fashion ; how mighty is the detestable spirit of 
avarice, and how much lukewarmness and conformity 
to the maxims of the world prevail ; what alacrity to 
respond to the calls of the so-called innocent worldly 
amusements, and what hesitancy to discharge duty, 
even the highest priveleges of the Christian being re- 
garded as crosses ! Very few can truly say : " Not I, 



128 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

but Christ liveth in me." Who will deny these facts ? 
They exist, they confront us at every turn, and, as it 
were, strike into our faces and sting our very hearts ! 
They are the greatest obstacles to Christ's cause, eating 
out the vitals and crippling the energies of the Church 
to a fearful degree. 

But, though we have the same want of holiness to 
deplore as the apostles had in their time, yet, thank 
God, we have the same overflowing fountain of holiness 
and grace — t% Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and 
forever ! Now this great want of holiness in believers, 
is one fact, and Christ made unto them sanctification, 
is the other fact with which we have to do. We must 
accept these facts as they are, because they are facts* 

HOW TO GET BELIEVERS SANCTIFIED. 

A practical way of preaching which faithfully attacks, 
exposes, and reproves the depravities existing in the 
Church, and at the same time leads believers directly 
into the fulness of Christ's free, full and present salva- 
tion, is the great desideratum. Such preaching will induce 
many believers to wash their robes white in the blood 
of the Lamb. This will effect infinitely more than all 
the discussions concerning the supposed critical niceties 
of the doctrine of Sanctification have ever effected. If 
we thus preach, the Holy Spirit — which is the spirit of 
truth, will bless our preaching with demonstration and 
power. This Great Teacher will reveal to believers their 
want of holiness and the overflowing fountain of Grace, 
and as they consecrate themselves entirely, and trust 
implicitly in Christ, they will find the Entire Sanctifica- 
tion of spirit, soul, and body. 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 129 

As holiness is an experimental and practical truth, it 
is evident that embassadors for Christ must preach it, 
not only theoretically, from the Bible, but experi- 
mentally from the heart, and practically in their lives. 
They must be able to stand up and say with Paul : 
"Follow me, as I follow Christ" This gives almost irre- 
sistible force to preaching, and supplies an influence 
that nothing else can give. 

Brethren in the Gospel ! We have neither the right 
to neglect this doctrine, nor yet to preach it according 
to speculative notions. Let us, therefore, go down 
to the feet of our Great Master, and thence, with 
hearts "full of faith and the Holy Ghost" before the 
people ; and let % us preach the good old evangelical, 
apostolical, practical sanctification doctrine, and never 
beat the air with criticisms, objections, hair-splittings, 
and polemical metaphysical, high-sounding, but empty, 
and worse than worthless phrases ! 

From such Scriptural labors will result a Church 
wholly devoted to God, full of the fruits of the Spirit, 
and zealous unto all good works, and J an invincible 
power for the conversion of the world. 

HOLINESS BEGUN. 

T^HOSE who profess to have obtained a definite ex- 
perience of holiness, subsequent to conversion, 
have, by some, been charged with ignoring the fact that 
at conversion we are in any sense made holy. Indeed, 
I once heard an old veteran in the ministry give this 
"man of straw" a real sound theological flogging. 
Now the truth of the matter is, that no one among us 
has ever taught that we are in no degree sanctified at 



130 . VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

the time of our regeneration ; but we clo teach that in 
conversion holiness is begun, and that he who " begun 
this good work " in us will also perfect it sooner or 
later, "if we walk in the light, as he is the light." 

The work of grace in its various operations and sanc- 
tifying effects, is very clearly set forth in a series of 
editorials, which appeared in the Living Epistle during 
the editorship of my worthy predecessor, Rev. Jacob 
Young, from whom I next quote. On the subject of 
conversion which he sets forth as the beginning of holi- 
ness in us, he says : 

The term conversion is sometimes used in a limited 
rsense, in which it has different significations ; but 
usually, in a general sense, denoting a radical change 
of moral character, consisting in the renovation of the 
heart and life, or a turning from the power of sin and 
iSatan unto God (Acts 26. 18), produced by the influence 
of Divine grace. Thus used, it includes repentance, 
justification, regeneration, or the new birth, adoption, 
the Spirit's witness, and the work of holiness begun. This 
we conceive to be the broad evangelical sense of the 
comprehensive term " conversion." 

In that individral who has received justification, 
experienced regeneiat'on, be m adopted into God's 
family, nnd received the Fpirit's witness, the work of 
holiness is begun. The foundation of sanctification is 
laid. It is impossible to receive the Spirit of adoption 
without the beginning of the of work of holiness. 

When these different terms are used in connection 
Vith each other, in a limited sense, they have their 
specific significations, and each of them has reference to 
a special part of the work of grace in the heart. Then 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 131 

they mean different things, though inseparably con- 
nected. Justification and regeneration are then not 
one and the same thing, but these terms convey two dis- 
tinct ideas. The term conversion includes them all. 
But these terms are not always used in this sense. 
They are frequently used with a :nore comprehensive 
signification, including the concomitants. This is the , 
case especially with the term "justification." When 
used in a general sense, it includes regeneration, adop- 
tion, the Spirit's witness and sanctification begun, be- 
cause they are inseparably connected. The same is 
true of the term regeneration, and for the same reason. 
Conversion, justification, and regeneration, are not 
unfrequently used synonymously each including the 
others ; being used to convey the same idea as the term 
convers'on defined above. They have reference to the 
same work of grace in the heart, which in all cases 
includes the work of holiness beyiin, but not necessarily 
completed. Hence when the expressions, justification, 
justified, or merely justified ; regeneration, regenerated, 
or merely regenerated are used, it does not follow, nor 
€an it be legitimately inferred, that they are so used to 
com r ey the idea that the work of holiness is not begun, 
unless it is distinctly specified, because they are, general- 
ly, if not universally used to designate conversion, which 
includes holiness begun. But why use the term <- mere- 
ly"? Simply to make the distinction between the con- 
verted, who are not yet wholly sanctified, and the convert- 
ed who are wholly sanctified. All the wholly sanctified 
are justified, regenerated — converted ; but not all the 
converted are wholly sanctified. In a "merely" jus- 
tified, a "merely" regenerated — a "merely" converted 



132 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

man, the work of sanctification is begun, but not com- 
pleted. The work of conversion is complete, but a per- 
fect conversion is not entire sanctification. 

With the most distinct conception of each as a part 
of the whole, we do not conceive that one takes place 
without the other. He that is justified is regenerated — 
is converted. 

Conversion is a glorious change from darkness to 
light, from death unto life, from the bondage of sin to 
the liberty of God's children, from nature to grace. 
The Spirit of adoption is given, and we are made heirs 
of glory. No wonder the poet sings : — 

" How happy every child of grace, 

Who knows his sins forgiven ! 
This earth, he cries, is not my place, 

I seek my place in heaven." 

Again he writes : A conversion which does not 
affect our life is worth nothing. Our sins being for- 
given we must live without committing sin, if we would 
preserve our justification untarnished. The Scriptures 
are very definite in requiring of those born of God to 
live without sinning, i. e. without committing sin. He 
that sinneth — commits sin — is of the devil. We can 
not allow ourselves to commit the least sin, or do any 
wrong act, not even on the ground that we are as yet 
not wholly sanctified, without falling under condemna- 
tion ; for it is the privilege and duty of every child of 
God to live without committing one sin, from the 
moment of justification to the hour of death. This 
must be the case if we would remain in a fully justified 
state. We dare not aim at anything lower than this. 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 133 

We do not say that this is the universal or even general 
experience of the justified ; but it should be. However 
many, or few, may fail in this, they in so far tarnish 
their justification, and need restoration. If the con- 
verted allow themselves anything, concerning the right 
or propriety of which they have doubts, be it in regard 
to the wearing of gaudy, fashionable, or costly apparel, 
jewelry, etc.; or concerning amusements, diversions, 
associations, habits, indulgences, etc., it will dim the 
evidence of their justification, and cast a gloom, to sa} T 
the ver} r least, over their religious enjoyment. How 
many struggle right here, for a season, then com- 
promise, lose the clear assurance of their acceptance 
wdth God, and speedily also their justification, sink into 
a state of formality, passing for Christians — perhaps 
good Christians — while they are backslidden in heart. 
To say that such are in a justified state would be lower- 
ing the Scriptural standard of Justification. 

Nor can the state of justification be retained any con- 
siderable length of time, without seeking entire sanc- 
tification. It must be the aim of every believer to be 
pure in heart. As soon as the converted realize that 
there are remains of the carnal mind, " inbred sin," 
"evil affections and desires" still in the heart, they 
must seek cleansing from the same, or they will fall 
under condemnation. Not indeed from the fact of the 
presence of "inbred sin," in the heart, but from the fact 
that they do not seek deliverance therefrom. We dare 
not remain indifferent in regard to these remains, but 
must keep them subdued, and seek entire cleansing 
from them in order to make progress in the divine life, 
or even to continue in the state of justification. As 



134 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

long as we keep them subdued, holding power over 
them, fighting against and seeking deliverance from 
them, we do not fall under condemnation, and will soon 
experience that " the blood of Jesus Christ His Son 
cleanseth us from all sin." 

We see the folly, then, of excusing anything that is 
not light, little sins, little evils, etc., as they are gen- 
erally termed, on the ground that we do not profess 
holiness. And yet how many, when their attention is 
called to these things, admit that they are wrong, and 
add that they know the}' are not what they ought to be, 
not right ; but they think it covers the whole ground 
to say: "I don't profess entire sanctification." As 
much as to say, We are at liberty to do some things 
which are not right, as long as we do not profess to be 
wholly sanctified, and can still be in a justified state. 

Remember, if you allow yourself anything which 
you condemn in those who profess sanctification, you 
fall under condemnation, seeing you do the very things 
which you condemn in others. Do not some hesitate 
to seek entire sanctification, from the fact that they 
think more would be required of them if they did so ? 
What a sad lowering of the standard ! Just as if it 
were not the duty of every child of God to perfect holi- 
ness in the fear of God ! To think that you can retain 
your justification, and make advancement in the divine 
life without seeking entire sanctification, is most dis- 
astrous ! The mark must not be lower than the cleans- 
ing from all sin, inwardly as well as outwardly. 

Thus it is evident that the standard of justification 
is a high one, and yet we dare not rest here. There is 
still more to be experienced — a cleansing from all 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 135 

moral defilement. Justification may be complete, and 
yet " inbred sin," "evil affections and desires" remain 
in the heart ; we must, however, not tolerate or allow 
them there, but war against them, and not rest till they 
are completely eradicated. 

How very few, comparatively, of those who have 
been justified freely, measure up to the true standard 
of justification, continually. Some recede from it and 
liv e in a partially or wholly backslidden state. Others 
frequently yield to temptation, or are overcome by the 
" evil affections and desires " still remaining in the 
heart, repent, ask forgiveness, in so far as they have 
yielded, and are restored, and with them it is, much of 
the time, up and down, up and down. Some, perhaps the 
majority, of those belonging to this class, pass for ex- 
emplar}- Christians ; but the}- and their God know how 
often they yield in their heart, and are restored? 
Could we see the closet scenes as God sees them, it 
would astonish us. After yielding to a greater or lesser 
extent, should we not repent and be restored ? Cer- 
tainly ! It is the best thing that can be done, and the 
sooner the better. How many instead of measuring up 
to the true standard and full enjoyment of justification, 
draj along heavily, and live at the "poor dying rate," 
trying to bring the standard down to their experience,, 
instead of bringing their experience up to the standard. 

The man that lives up to the full measure of jus- 
tification is a happy being. Faithfulness will increase 
his happiness. If all those who profess the religion of 
Jesus measured up to the true standard of conversion, 
in experience and practice, what a stir it would make 
in the Christian world ! How easily, comparatively, 



136 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

believers might be led on to the experience of perfect 
purity through the blood of the Lamb. What mul- 
titudes would be wholly sanctified ! What crowds of 
sinners would be brought to Jesus ! 

What Bro. Y. here plainly and correctly teaches 
may be summed up thus : As soon as holiness is 
begun in us, by regeneration, w r e are saved from sin- 
ning, though not necessarily from sin, in the sense of 
its inbeing, as a root from which there is a tendency to 
evil productions. But sinning must and does cease at 
conversion, and holiness begins. — 

SIN IN BELIEVERS. 

npHE same writer, at a later date, gives his views on 
a sin in believers," in the following language : 

"Sin is the transgression of the law." "All unright- 
eousness is sin." " Whosoever doeth not righteous- 
ness is not of God." Not only the outward act of 
transgression, but all nonconformity to, and deviation 
from, the law of God is sin. There is original sin and 
actual sin. The Bible teaches that there is sinful de- 
pravity — inbred sin — and it also speaks of open vio- 
lation of God's law. 

There is no dispute on the question of sin in the 
unconverted, but the question of sin in believers is not 
so fully settled in every mind. That in conversion we 
are saved from outward or actual sin, and that w r e 
must live without committing sin, dare not even allow 
or tolerate sin, if we would retain our justification, 
admits of no doubt ; but it must also be admitted that 
the converted, generally speaking, sooner or later, if 
they are faithful, realize that there are "affections, 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 137 

desires," etc., in their hearts, which are not in con- 
formity with the law and nature of God. Some do not 
like to apply the name sin to anything which still 
remains in the heart of the truly converted ; perhaps 
they in their minds associate it too much with the idea 
of actual sin. 

It is generally held that conversion is not entire 
sanctification, and that there are remains from which 
we must be saved after conversion. To these remains 
various appellations have been given ; such as " evil 
lieart," "inward foes," " inward evils," " corrupt nature," 
"remains of the carnal mind," "the old man," "moral 
depravity or corruption," "remains of sin," "indwelling 
sin," "inward sin," "inbred sin," "inbeing of sin," 
" original sin," etc. In some of these terms the word 
sin is not used ; in others it is. The more I study the 
subject the more I am convinced that it is proper to 
say remains of sin, or sin, with the qualifying expres- 
sions, "inward," "inbred," "original," etc. At the 
same time, I have no objection to the other terms, as 
long as they are used to mean the same thing, and not 
to tone down expressions until they have no point, nor 
to baptize evils under innocent names, in order to avoid 
the idea of a further cleansing from impurities or 
■"inbred sin." 

It is not my design to argue this question at length, 
but to give a simple statement of how I was exercised 
on this subject, and how I arrived at the conclusion 
that it is proper to apply the term "sin" to those 
remains, qualified by "inbred," etc. There was a time 
when, to say the least, I doubted the propriety and cor- 
rectness of applying the expression "sin," even in a 



138 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

qualified sense, to any remains of the carnal mind in 
the truly converted. I was cautious. I hesitated. I 
was, however, in search of light on this point. I had 
several conversations with an experienced minister, one 
who professed to be strongly in favor of holiness — who 
strenuously opposed the term "sin" in any sense as 
applicable to anything remaining in the converted. He 
admitted that there are remains from which the con- 
verted must be sanctified, but he had other terms than. 
"sin" to designate them. At first I rather agreed with 
his views. But then he was so positive in rejecting all 
terms including the word a sin," and held so tenaciously 
to his views and his mode of expressing them, that it 
arrested my special attention. I was thus led to a 
closer examination of the subject. The fact was 
already admitted that there are remains from which we 
must be cleansed, and now the following questions 
presented themselves for solution : 

1. What is the origin of these remains ? 2. What 
is their nature ? and 3. What is their tendency ? This 
presented the question in its true light, and the answer 
came spontaneously : 

First, these remains come from sin. All evil, what- 
ever the degree, has its origin in sin. Secondly, they 
are of the nature of sin — the remains (the dregs?) 
(the roots ?) of the carnal mind, of pride, of unbelief,, 
etc., are of the same nature as the carnal mind itself,, 
pride itself, and unbelief itself, are. Now, if the carnal 
mind, pride, unbelief, etc., are sin, which cannot be 
denied, is not that sin also which partakes of the same 
nature? Thirdly, their tendency is to actual sin; 
they lead to outward sin, cause the committinj of sin. 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 139 

If these remains stir or move at all, it is to tempt to 
commit sin, or in concert with temptation to sin, in 
favor of sin, clamoring for indulgence in some act of 
sin. They are always on the side of sin. 

The conclusion seemed inevitable. If these remains 
are caused by or come from sin, are of the nature of 
sin, lead to outward sin, they are sin, and it is proper 
to say so. Since then I have no hesitancy in calling 
them "inbred sin," etc. 

All that I find necessary is, to be definite and 
specific in regard to what is intended b} r the term, and 
I see no danger in using the expression "inbred sin," etc. 
But is there not danger on the other hand ? If we 
are so sensitive in regard to using the term " sin," how- 
ever qualified, has it not the tendency to lead to the 
conclusion that these remains are rather innocent 
things, and that it is not of very great importance 
.whether we be fully cleansed from them in order to 
serve the Lord acceptably, if they are only held in 
subjection, and that it is not essential to our salvation 
that we be saved from them ? Is there no danger of 
pleading for Baal ? These remains, by whatever name 
we may designate them, are not such innocent things 
that we can allow them without taking injury. We 
should never lose sight cf the fact that they cannot 
enter heaven. We must be cleansed from them in 
order to see the Lord in peace. Let there be no trifling 
with them. 

We may be thoroughly converted, and yet not per- 
fectly cleansed from " inbred sin." If, however, we are 
sincere and faithful, the Lord will sooner or later dis- 
cover unto us the need of a cleansing from the remains 



140 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

of the carnal mind, and thenceforth we must seek this 
cleansing in order to retain a fully justified state. If 
we know that Ave are not, and do not seek to be fully 
saved, we fall under condemnation. It must be our 
earnest desire to be saved from all sin, if we would pro- 
gress in the divine life. At this point thousands falter. 
The}- feel their need of perfect cleansing, but they are 
not willing to make the necessary consecration, or for 
some cause, best known to themselves and their God, 
they fail to go forward and enter the Canaan of perfect 
rest, of complete salvation from "inbred sin." God 
does not countenance "inbred sin." He hates it with a 
perfect hatred, and has made provision for our deliver- 
ance from the same. It is the duty of every believer 
to seek perfect cleansing. Failing to do so is disobedi- 
ence and brings guilt. 

Reader, examine yourself whether you are in a fully- 
justified state. Examine \/our heart whether there are 
any remains of the carnal mind there. If so, are you 
earnestly striving after full salvation ? Do not be dis- 
couraged, there is power in Jesus' blood to cleanse 
from every stain of sin. Claim the application of that 
blood, till you are made "whiter than snow." Believe 
that Jesus can, and will, and does save jon now from 
every stain of pollution. Be saved to the uttermost. 
Why not, when this great salvation is within reach ? 
There is no need of any sin remaining in believers. 
Praise the Lord ! Jesus is " mighty to save," even 
from "inbred sin." Let every one that has this hope 
purify himself u even as he is pure ! " 

At this point I will also quote the following words 
from Bishop J. J. Esher on this subject. He says : 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 141 

"As true as it is, that the 'evil affections and desires f 
that still stir in the believer are not reckoned to him 
as sin, so long as they have not been discovered to 
him (so lange er bei aller sonstigen Treue sie nicht 
erkennt), so true it is also, that this remaining evil is 
reckoned to him as actual sin, as soon as it is revealed 
to him, unless he uses all diligence, according to the 
Word of God, to be delivered from it. 

"But, at any rate, the actual existence of the 'evil' 
in the believer, whether known or unknown to him, is a 
disturbance of the order of God, that cannot well be 
branded with too strong a term. It is a superficiality, 
bordering on rank hypocrisy, to profess entire sane- 
tification while all manner of selfishness is still crop- 
ping out ; and how often this is done ! So, also, to say 
the least of it, it is inadmissible to suppose that, 
although an evil principle, or generating power still 
remains in the believer, it is not sin as long as it is 
kept passive — inactive, and that it only becomes sin 
when it breaks forth into actual deeds. For, in the 
first place, a generating, or life power, cannot be 
strictly passive ; then, again, the believer cannot keep 
it passive, without knowing of its existence, and its evil 
nature and effects, so that the matter of keeping this 
'evil' passive, resolves itself simply into a conscious 
cherishing of an evil, and that is sin, actual sin. 

"Poison is poison, though it be carried in golden 
cups ; and to carry it, is high treason against God, 
whose likeness we must bear, in moral purity, through 
sanctification, by the blood of Christ. All evil, — call it 
principle, inclination, desire, lust, or a generating 
power, — is a disturbance of the order of God, and 



142 VOICES OF HOLINESS. 

irreconcilable with perfect fellowship with God, through 
Christ. 

"In entire sanctification all this is radically destroyed" 

IMPORTANCE OF PERFECT PURITY. 

TTNDER this heading Bro. Young continues his series 
by saying:— 

More than simply development is necessary after 
conversion. The remains of sin are not removed by 
growth, but b} r cleansing. If we look at the nature of 
these remains, we must at once see the importance of a 
further cleansiny. This does not consist in merely cor- 
recting habits, or changing the bent of the mind, but it 
is cleansing from all fUthiness, an eradication of the 
roots of bitterness, or remains of the carnal mind ; 
not a mere correcting of something which belongs 
there, and is only perverted, but the removal of some- 
thing which does not belong there at all. Sin, even 
the remains of inbred sin, cannot be amended or cor- 
rected, but must be washed away ; habits, bent of 
mind, bias of judgment may be corrected. Keeping 
these distinctions in view, will aid in arriving at the 
truth. 

Great stress is laid, in the New Testament, on being 
•cleansed from all sin, inwardly as well as outwardly, 
and on being made perfect, and presented blameless 
unto the coming of Jesus Christ our Lord. Perfect 
holiness is required. 

But if perfect holiness is required to enter heaven, 
how is it with those who are converted and not w 7 holly 
sanctified ? Would they be lost should they die ? Or 
have they holiness enough to enter heaven ? Is con- 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 143 

version not a safe state ? These questions might be 
answered by asking others, but that would not prove 
satisfactory. After much thought, we believe the fol- 
lowing both Scriptural and logical, and hence tenable 
1. That there are many who are truly converted and 
not wholly sanctified. 2. That none who are truly con- 
verted are lost, unless they backslide. 3. That no one, 
though truly converted, will be permitted to enter 
heaven without being wholly sanctified. 

But if the truly converted are not lost, consequently 
are in a safe state as long as they remain justified, are 
they not also in a state fully qualified or prepared for 
heaven ? Not necessarily. The truly penitent sinner 
cannot perish. He is, however, not qualified for heaven 
as soon as he becomes truty penitent. This is self- 
evident. He must continue to repent and believe till 
he is saved. If the true penitent, who is not yet jus- 
tified, cannot perish, how much less the converted soul, 
who is not yet wholly sanctified ! Both are in a safe 
state in which they cannot perish, but neither is in a 
state of being fully qualified for heaven. The con- 
verted person is much farther advanced than the peni- 
tent, but in both cases their remaining in a state of 
safety depends on their faithfulness in going forward. 
This is true of any state of grace. If the penitent 
should cease to repent of his sins before being par- 
doned, he would not only be still in an unsaved, but in 
an unsafe state. Even the converted, should they rest 
satisfied with their attainments, and think because they 
are in a safe state, they need no more, and should they 
neglect to go forward, to seek perfect purity of heart, 
would from that moment occupy dangerous ground, 



144 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

begin to retrograde, lose their state of safety, and back- 
slide into dead formality if not into open sin. Many 
commit a sad mistake right here. They think they are 
the children of God and as such they cannot be lost,, 
and conclude that if they only retain this state all will 
be well in the end whether they reach higher attain- 
ments or not ; but before they are aware of it they 
have lost their first love and are retrograding. Believ- 
ers becoming satisfied with a justified state, will make 
no efforts to be saved from the remains of inbred sin. 
If the assurance of justification is made the reason for 
not advancing to entire sanctification, this very assur- 
ance is thereby forfeited. This should stimulate the 
justified to shake off all lethargy, and consider that 
their continued justification includes the assurance of 
entire sanctification, and that it is the will and design, 
of God to perfect the work already begun. Christians 
should value their conversion, and the fact that they 
are converted should be a strong inducement to press 
forward to the glorious consummation of the work in 
perfect purity, and finally in glory. 

The inquiry is sometimes raised, what becomes of 
those who die after they are converted, and before they 
are wholly sanctified ? Sudden death, and deathbed 
conversions and many who lived exemplary lives, but 
who did not make a definite profession of holiness are 
cited, and the question is asked, how with them ? We 
do not believe that any, who are truly converted and 
are faithful, including the seeking of perfect purity, die 
without being wholly sanctified. Not even if converted 
on a deathbed, nor in case of sudden death. This 
applies to the faithful. We are not speaking of the 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 145 

cold, or the lukewarm, but of those who are faithful i» 
the performance of their duties, in seeking holiness r 
and in all other matters. 

Or take another view of the subject. Make two 
points, a starting point and an ultimate point. The 
starting point is conversion, the end heaven. Being 
converted you are an heir of heaven, and of all } r ou 
need to qualify you to enter there, entire sanctification 
included. If you press on, if you are faithful, you 
will gain heaven, no doubt about it, but not before 
being wholly sanctified. The converted soul should 
consider the fact that he is a child of God, and that if 
faithful he cannot perish, of great importance, and 
should rejoice in it ; but he should consider it of equal 
importance to be wholly sanctified, and should press on 
to it as an indispensable qualification for heaven. As 
certain as he is of gaining heaven if he proves faithful, 
so certain he is also of retrograding, backsliding and 
losing heaven if he is not faithful — seeking full salva- 
tion included. 

But in laying so much stress on being wholly sanc- 
tified as a qualification for heaven, do we not some- 
times too much overlook its importance in connection 
with our usefulness ? To be useful in the highest 
degree we must be fully saved ourselves. A person 
who is truly converted may accomplish good, yea much 
good ; but if he is fully saved he will accomplish 
more. One may do more good than another according; 
to the gifts and talents allotted, but in all cases the 
more complete and full the consecration and cleansing,, 
the more the heart is filled with the unction of the 
Holy Ghost, the holier and more earnest our zeal for 
10 



146 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

God, the stronger our faith in God, the greater will be 
our usefulness. We know of ministers who preached 
the Gospel a number of 3-ears, leading many sinners to 
Jesus, who during this time preached entire holiness 
theoretically, without having experienced it, but did not 
succeed in leading any into its possession; but after 
experiencing it themselves, they were instrumental in 
leading others into the same experience. Then if you 
desire to be useful, as it is your duty to be, in the 
highest degree possible, be fully consecrated and 
devoted to God, be fully saved from all the remains of 
sin, be filled with the Holy Ghost and with the unction 
that abideth. 

Perfect purity is of great importance because it is 
the will of God. " For this is the will of God, even 
your sanctification." We cannot be actuated b}' any 
higher motive to seek holiness than this, that it is the 
will of God. To please God should be our highest 
:aim. It should be our meat and drink to do the will 
of our heaventy Father. Jesus teaches us to pray, 
" Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." It is 
of the highest importance to our safety and happiness, 
that God be pleased with us. This he can be only 
when we render implicit obedience to his commands. 
We cannot obey him without seeking holiness of heart ; 
for he says, "Be ye holy ; for I am holy." 

We should seek entire sanctification now. This is of 
great importance. Not next year, next month, next 
week or to-morrow, but now. If we do not seek to be 
wholly sanctified now, what do we seek ? Do we not 
iseek something less, just now, and so don't seek entire 
sanctification at all, as long as we pursue this course ? 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 147 

And can any one expect to reach it in this way ? Not 
reasonably. The seeking must be brought to a point. 
We must desire and seek full salvation now, must, 
expect it now, must comply with the conditions now, 
and by faith appropriate the blood of Jesus, which 
cl^anseth from all sin, now. Why should any wait, 
when all things are now ready ? This deferring it 
to the indefinite future, is one of Satan's devices, 
which » cannot be set aside too soon. We are quite 
certain that many would advance much more rap- 
idly, if they would think less about with how little 
religion they may be safe, and more about the heights 
of salvation which it is their privilege to enjoy in 
this life. 

"GRADUAL AND INSTANTANEOUS." 

PHE work of Sanctification is both gradual and in- 
stantaneous. The moment of perfect cleansing is 
reached gradually, but when reached the work is done in 
an instant. The approach to this instant may be like 
the approach to death, where life is slowly ebbing out 
till at last there is a sudden cessation of all the func- 
tions of life, and an instantaneous change is produced. 
Thus the process of the dying out of the u old man," 
whether it go forward rapidly or slowly, must at last 
reach an instant in which this carnal life ceases 
entirely. On this subject I again quote from Bro. 
Young. — 

He says : It is established beyond successful con- 
tradiction that the work of entire sanctification may be 
experinced instantaneously. Hundreds and thousands 
testify to this truth. We are not now speaking of the 



148 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

preparatory steps, but of the completion of the work. 
Cleansing from all sin may be experienced to-day, now, 
if we make the proper consecration and exercise simple 
faith in the merits of Christ. In seeking holiness we 
should pursue the most advantageous and the safest 
course, and that is to obtain it as speedily as possible. 
"We do not deem it proper to give any encouragement to 
anything that might retard the experience or work of 
holiness. We are, therefore, not strongly inclined to 
favor the gradual, in the commonly accepted sense of 
the term ; but advocate the instantaneous. With all 
the arguments for the instantaneous, with all the 
importance of the work, and with all the inducements 
to seek full salvation now, the work, with only too 
many, is fully gradual enough, indeed some are grad- 
ually losing ground, instead of going forward. How 
would it be if the instantaneous work were not insisted 
upon at all ? The stronger the instantaneous work is 
urged, the more earnestly perfect purity is sought as a 
present attainment, the more rapid will be the pro- 
gress. Looking at it from the stand-point that the 
work is both instantaneous and gradual, we see noth- 
ing to lose and much to gain, by seeking entire sanc- 
tification now as an instantaneous work. Is it not our 
duty to make advancement in the divine life as rapidly 
as possible ? And how can it be said that we are do- 
ing this if we seek holiness as a gradual work merely, 
when we may have a present, instantaneous experience 
of full salvation ? It is God's will that we should be 
holy now. Glorious truth, that we may be saved from 
all sin now ! We need not put it off. Even the young 
convert should seek it with all the power and energy 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 14& 

of his whole being. The best way to keep from losing 
ground in religion, is to go on to perfection. 

Should it be said, that some have experienced entire 
sanctification without being able to tell the hour or 
moment when the work was completed, it nevertheless 
remains true that there was a moment when it was 
done. In every work that is finished, there must be a 
moment of completion, whether it requires years, or 
days, or hours to reach that moment. This conclusion 
is unavoidable. And, there must be a moment when 
the consciousness is first realized that the work is 
wrought. This may also come, apparently, at least, by 
degrees, but there must be a moment when one is 
enabled for the first time to say : " I know that the 
blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth me from all 
sin," and this is an eventful moment in the life of 
every believer who reaches this experience. In the 
most gradual process through which perfect purity is 
reached, the completion is instantaneous, and the com- 
pletion really is the experience of the work. If we 
have experienced it, we shall know that the work is 
wrought, and have the evidence. A clear, definite 
experience is accompanied by a clear evidence. The 
-experience and evidence may not in all cases be alike 
clear and definite, but all may know what is given them 
of God. All may, should, and if they properly ex- 
amine themselves in the light of God must and do 
know whether they have separated themselves entirely 
from the world, have fully consecrated their all unto 
the Lord, and are relying upon, and implicitly trusting 
in the merits of Christ's blood to completely cleanse 
them, and whether the Spirit of God is gently and 



150 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

sweetly impressing the soul with a delightful and 
decisive persuasion that they are cleansed from all 
sin. These things may be realized by faith, so clearly 
that there is no need of being deceived. But it is a 
mistake to seek the evidence of holiness, instead of 
holiness itself. 

Upon the whole the difference between the gradual 
and the instantaneous experience of entire sanctifica- 
tion seems to resolve into this : 1. The nature of the 
work is essentially the same in all cases, however much 
particulars in experience differ. 2. The general con- 
ditions upon which it is obtained are the same. All 
must come the same way, and upon the same terms. 
3. When the conditions are complied with, God does 
the work without any delay. 4. Man's work — the 
preparatory steps — requires time ; God's work — the. 
cleansing act — is accomplished instantaneously, and is 
not measured by time. 5. Some reach the point of 
completion in a much shorter time than others. 6. 
Whether we reach the point when God saves fully, in 
five minutes or in so many years, the approach to it is 
gradual, and the completion instantaneous, and thus the 
work of sanctification is both gradual and instantan- 
eous. 

Let every one, then, resolve to seek and obtain holi- 
ness as speedily as possible. Let no time be lost. 
Retain all the ground gained and press on with vigor. 
God is ready to perform the work, why should we 
delay. Rush to the fountain of fulness, plunge in and 
be at once cleansed from all sin ! 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 151 



PURITY AND MATURITY. 



We should, however, distinguish between purity and 
maturity. There is considerable perplexity in the 
minds of many by not distinguishing between them. 
Maturity always requires time, purity may be realized 
instantaneously. Maturity implies growth, purity is 
not reached by growth merely. Purity may be reached 
now, as in Wesley's time, within a few days after con- 
version. He says : " Many at Macclesfield believed 
that the blood of Christ had cleansed them from all 
sin. T spoke to them, forty in all, one by one. Some 
said they received the blessing ten days, some seven, 
some four, some three days after they had found peace 
with God, and two of them the next day." But were 
the} 7, mature Christians — fathers in Christ ? " Matu- 
rity, or growth in grace, is, in an important sense, a 
question of time ; purity is not. A free and full 
salvation from all sin is the present and constant privi- 
lege and duty of all believers. This will secure a 
rapid, solid, constant growth in grace. There is growth 
in grace both before and after the experience of entire 
sanctification." Rev. J. A. Wood sa} T s : "The process 
of cleansing away and extirpating sin is one 
thing, and a growth or maturity in grace is quite an- 
other. These two things should not be jumbled or 
confounded. God never accomplishes that in the soui 
by cleansing power which it is the province of growth in 
grace to perform. On the other hand, a growth in 
grace cannot effect that which is the work of creating, 
cleansing power." 

The divine life and virtues implanted into the soul at 



152 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

conversion, . need development. The believer must 
grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ. The 
Christian character must be developed. Growth is 
indispensable at every stage of the Christian life and 
experience. There is growth before entire sanctifiea- 
tion is experienced, as well as afterwards. Spiritual 
growth is illustrated by the growth of the body. There 
are babes in Christ, or little children, young men, and 
fathers. The child becomes a man by growth, or devel- 
opment. The same idea is taught by the figures taken 
from the vegetable kogdom. The fifteenth chapter of 
John furnishes a striking example. The main thought 
is the believer's union with Christ. The branch is 
united with the vine, and from it draws its nourish- 
ment, grows, flourishes, becomes fruitful. Growing, 
however, is not all, pruning is also necessary. Both 
ideas are here contained. Pruning is not growth, nor 
by growth, but by cutting ; growing is not pruning, 
nor by pruning, but by receiving sap from the vine, 
and improving it. 

We should ever bear in mind that in regard to the 
believer who is not wholly sanctified, two things are 
necessary ; namely, a cleansing from all filthiness of 
the flesh and spirit, and growth or development. The 
one is the removal of that which is not in conformity 
to holiness or purity, the other is the increase of the 
divine life in the soul, and the development of the 
Christian graces. Cleansing is by separation, throwing 
off, removing, washing away ; growth is by adding, 
increasing, improving, strengthening. 

The work of cleansing is to be completed before 
death, or how could we, after being " sanctified wholl}-," 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 153 

be preserved blameless, unto the coming of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. Indeed the figures used indicate the 
speedy destruction of the " old man," and removal of 
remaining impurities. Death by crucifixion does not 
require weeks, much less months or years. A thorough 
crucifixion insures a speedy death. Mortification is 
speedy destruction to life. The cutting off of a hand 
or foot, the plucking out of an eye, though extremely 
painful, are not prolonged operations. A few moments 
submission to the surgeon, and the work is done. So 
if we do our part in the work of self-crucifixion and 
mortification, God does his part speedily. It does not 
require great length of time to refine metals. The 
process of cleansing is generally quite limited. Sprink- 
ling is a momentary act. Washing is soon performed. 
In every case the completion is instantaneous. 

Not so with growth or development. This requires 
time. The child does not reach manhood, much less 
old age, in a moment. The acorn does not become the 
sturdy oak in a single day, or even year. Nor does it 
cease to grow when it arrives at a certain age. The 
child of God does not develop from a babe in Christ to 
a father in Israel at once ; but in the use of the means 
of grace he is blest, receives new strength, and makes 
progress in the divine life. We are to " come in the 
unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of 
God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the 
stature of the fullness of Christ." We are not to 
remain babes, but to become young men, and fathers 
in Christ. Spiritual growth does not cease when we 
are wholly sanctified, but becomes more rapid than 
before. In development we see no attainment which 



154 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

admits of no further progress. Fathers in Christ still 
go forward, even to the end of their Christian career. 
New light is received, new strength is imparted, higher 
attainments are reached, greater fullness penetrates 
ever} r avenue of our being ; we are changed from 
glory to glory, and still the soul cries for new baptisms 
of the Holy Ghost and of fire ; for more of God, and 
for still greater progress in the divine life. The soul 
drinks in more of the divine nature, and yet asks for 
enlargement both of vessel and of fulness. The path 
of the just shineth more and more unto the perfect 
day. Complete cleansiny is what we must have, and 
anything short of it will not stand the test. Reach 
this experience as speedily as possible. It will not 
answer to weaken the "old man," he must be crucified, 
he must die. It is not sufficient to become purer, we 
become pure, "even as He is pure." To retain this 
purity, after it is experienced, we must continually go 
on to higher attainments. 

PROFESSING HOLINESS. 

TT is a plain Scriptural duty to "tell what the Lord 
hath done for us." To Paul was this command 
given : "Thou shalt be his witness unto all men, of 
what thou hast seen and heard." Acts 22. 15. To this 
the Holy Ghost adds: (Acts 26. 16) "And of those 
things in the which I will appear unto thee." This points 
to Paul's subsequent experience. It was not only proper, 
but also a plain duty for Paul to tell the story of his 
conversion as he did on more than one occasion. In 
him we have a Scriptural example for professing our 
deliverance from the guilt and dominion of sin. 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 155 

But Paul professes more than this. He claims an 
experience which includes the death of self ; and this 
experience he professes thus : " I am crucified with 
Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ 
liveth in me ; and the life which I now live in the flesh 
I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, 
and gave himself for me." Gal. 2. 20. Here, again, 
we have a Scriptural example of profession, and it is 
such a profession as only those can make who are 
entirely sanctified. Whoever has experienced the 
crucifixion, the death, and the life, of which the apostle 
here speaks, need not be timid about following Pauls 
example in declaring the same. This, profession, how- 
ever, is not made for the purpose of convincing others 
that we are pure, or holy, for if we are saved to the 
extent of perfect moral purity, the fact will be dis- 
covered bj r others even without our telling it. Just as 
others would notice our recovery from sickness, by see- 
ing us again at our usual employment, so they will dis- 
cover our purity by seeing the change that it has 
wrought in us. But then it would be an evidence of 
gratitude in us to speak of the physician and of the 
remedy through which we were restored. It would also 
prove a blessing to like sufferers with us, if we would 
recommend him through whom we had been made 
whole. In all this there would be no boasting, no 
egotism, but a praise of the good name of the physi- 
cian, and a benefit to those who need his treatment. 
The application is evident. * Gratitude to God prompts 
the wholly sanctified soul to tell the stoiy of its com- 
plete emancipation. A desire to glorify God, and to 
see others enjoy a like salvation constrains the puri- 



156 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

fied soul to "tell it all around." To suppress this grati- 
tude, and this desire would be to neglect a plain duty, 
and to neglect a plain Christian duty is to suffer loss in 
our Christian experience — is a step away from the 
cross, and is likely to lead us still further away. It 
would seem proper then to profess holiness if we really 
enjoy it. But I do not contend for a stereotyped form 
of profession, much less for that harsh, egotistic mode 
of testifying into which some have fallen, whereby 
they are made to appear boastful and vain ; but I would 
insist upon a fresh experience, from which there comes 
an overflow of humble acknowledgment of the things 
given us of God, in response to our consecration and 
faith. With such an experience we need not look 
either to the past or to the future for something to pro- 
fess, for our life, our joy, our victory, our divine com- 
munion, are facts of the present ; and, when these are 
humbly professed there is a convincing proof of the 
reality of the profession in the very expression of the 
countenance, as well as the tone of the voice. But 
there are other voices that must be heard on this sub- 
ject. And here again I must quote from the editorial 
writings of Bro. Young. He says : — 

Having experinced entire sanctification, and received 
the evidence of it, should an open or public profession 
be made of it ? 

This is a question upon which much has been said. 
Some are very conservative and cautious regarding the 
profession of holiness, seeing danger in urging a clear, 
distinct profession of a definite experience of the same. 
Others believe there is great danger in withholding the 
profession, when the work is experienced, and doubt 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 157 

whether holiness can be retained where it is not pro- 
fessed, citing numerous instances where the conscious- 
ness of full salvation was lost, because the testimony 
was withheld. It does appear that those who are 
clearest in their experience, have the least trouble 
about the profession, and as long as they give a clear 
testimony of having the experience, the Lord gives a clear 
evidence. No doubt some are in the mists, simply be- 
cause they do not obey in testifying to the work 
wrought in their hearts. There are objections raised 
against professing entire sanctification, but as these 
generally come from those who have no clear experi- 
ence of full salvation, we, at this juncture, merely call 
their attention to the fact that to themselves a clear 
experience is of infinitely greater importance than 
endeavoring to settle questions which experience alone 
can clear up. Let us get at the truth in this matter, 
so that we may learn our privilege and duty, and come 
up to it. 

A profession of religion is the acknowledged duty of 
all true Christians. This is generally recognized in the 
Protestant Church. Making such a profession is 
Scriptural. "Ye are m}' witnesses, saith the Lord." 
" Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare 
what he hath done for my soul." Jesus said to the 
healed Gadarene, "Go home to thy friends, and tell 
them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and 
had compassion on thee. And he departed, and began 
to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had 
done for him. And all men did marvel." Jesus, im- 
mediately before his ascension, said unto his disciples, 
" But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost 



158 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

is come upon you : and ye shall be witnesses unto me 
both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, 
and unto the uttermost part of the earth." The 
apostles declared that they were witnesses for Jesus, 
and it is said they gave witness with great power. 
Paul declares, " If thou shalt confess w y ith thy mouth 
the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that 
God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be 
saved. For with the heart man believeth unto right- 
eousness and with the mouth confession is made unto 
salvation." To the Hebrews it was said, " Let us hold 
fast our profession." Timothy had "professed a good 
profession before many witnesses." Believing with the 
heart and confessing with the mouth stand, in the 
Scriptural sense, too closely connected to be separated. 
And is it not the duty of those who make a profes- 
sion of religion to tell the whole truth ? Should not 
he who undertakes to relate his experience, as a witness 
for Jesus, tell all that he has wrought in the soul ? 
The more Jesus has done for us, the more we are able 
to relate to his glory. Are we justified freely ? Then 
we can tell the wonderful story that we are adopted into 
the family of God, are sons of God, and joint-heirs with 
Christ Jesus our Lord. Glorious truth ! Children, 
and therefore heirs of God ! Do we realize that w r e are 
fully saved ; and should we not also tell this to the 
glorj T of God ? Can it be said that we truly and pro- 
perty confess Christ without acknowledging the whole 
truth ? Jesus desires faithful witnesses. Does he 
authorize us to conceal any part of his gracious work 
in our hearts ? Is there no danger of denying our 
Saviour by keeping back part of the truth ? But says 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 159 

one, kt Profess it with your life." Is this sufficient ? 
We know that a life of holiness is essential to give 
weight to the profession, but at the same time the con- 
fession is to be made " with the mouth," unto salvation. 
We cannot conceive why it is not just as much a duty 
to profess holiness as conversion, by those who have 
experienced it. As a general rule what is applicable to 
the one is also to the other. We full}' believe this, 
that if any one experiences holiness, and the Hoi}* 
Spirit prompts him to make an open profession of it, 
he cannot refuse without taking injury to himself. The 
Spirit of God will teach us in these things, and we can- 
not disobey without grieving Him. The fact is, when 
the heart is full of holiness, holy fire and zeal, it will 
have utterance, and the testimony will be given with a 
holy boldness, and humble trust in God, and an unction 
which those who shrink from a public profession, }~et 
desire to be considered wholly sanctified, can neither 
gainsay nor successfully imitate, should the}' attempt it. 
To shrink from professing holiness, or to profess in 
equivocal expressions, in order to avoid the responsibil- 
ity, or in any way get around it, is wrong, and persons 
doing so cannot retain sanctification, nor can they obtain 
it, if this is their principle before the} T are sanctified. 
There must be no shrinking here. We must frame no 
excuses for the purpose of getting around the cross. 
Christ needs, can use, and will own none who are 
ashamed of him, his work, or his cause. 

As a general thing profession should be made. It is 
a blessing to those who do so. It commits them for 
holiness, which is just as it should be, but which many 
wish to avoid, and, on this rock, of non-committal, they 



160 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

make shipwreck. Profession cuts off retreat. We 
should cut clown the bridges, make no provision for 
retreat, but cross the Rubicon, pass on, and maintain 
the ground we have gained by pressing on to higher 
attainments. Profession shows that we trust that he 
who has cleansed is able to keep clean. It is a means 
of overcoming the devil. "And they overcame him by 
the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testi- 
mony." It is a blessing to others. Those enjoying- 
holiness are refreshed, and receive new courage to go 
on, when others testify to this great grace. Seekers- 
after purity of heart are led to see the wa}^ more clearly 
and desire the blessing more eagerly. The indifferent 
are waked up, and are brought to see that there is 
something lacking, and many resolve to seek holiness, 
when they hear others profess it. Sinners are moved, 
melted and led to Jesus. Eternity alone can tell the 
good that has been, is, and may be done by professing 
a present, full and free salvation. The work of holi- 
ness, and the work of the Lord generally, flourish bet- 
ter where it is professed by a humble testimony as well 
as an exemplary life. 

Is it not extremely inconsistent to teach, that man 
must be saved from all sin, must be wholly sanctified 
in this life, and that it is the privilege and duty of 
every child of God to be fully saved, and then turn 
round and caution in regard to professing it, as though 
it were the hardest thing in the world to reach this 
experience and live consistent!}', or, as though there 
were a mystery hanging around the profession of it 
which was very difficult to solve ? Is it consistent to 
set up the standard of full salvation, and then dis- 



THE VOICE OP THE PRESS. 161 

courage the profession of it ? Does this not discour- 
age the seekers and hinder the experience ? 

We love to see men and women full of the Holy 
Ghost, committed for holiness, standing up boldly for 
Jesus, and laboring for the cause. Oh, how the Lord 
does bless such ! He meets with his witnesses, and 
wfien they testif}', he gives " showers of blessings^ 
The Holy Spirit fills them, and Pentecostal baptisms fire 
up the soul in holy love to God and man. 

Then, ye who have experienced full salvation, humbly, 
but boldly profess Christ as your complete Saviour. 
Think of the good you may do. Improve every op- 
portunity. Soon your lips will be sealed in death, and 
you will no more be able to tell your friends and neigh- 
bors of this great salvation. Tell them of it while }'ou 
may. Lead to Jesus as many as you can. Go on then, 
experience, exemplify, spread and profess full salvation, 
till the aliens of darkness shall be put to flight, the 
gates of hell tremble, sinners fear and quake, and cold 
professors grow pale on account of the power of God 
manifested in the sanctification of believers and the 
salvation of sinners. We need more holiness in ex- 
perience, profession and life. We need more witnesses- 
of full salvation, more holy men and women, who are 
pointed, definite and radical in the work of holiness - r 
who from experience, with a glowing heart, will testify 
of its fulness continually. The Lord continue to raise 
up hosts of faithful, living, burning, shining witnesses: 
of the truth that " Jesus now saves to the uttermost !"' 

Again he writes : It seems to me there is too much 
squeamishness in regard to professing holiness. There 
has been so much criticising, toning down, modifying, 
11 



162 VOICES ON HOLINESS, 

and objecting, that one might almost be led to think 
criticism was the great holiness panacea. All the de- 
fects of the holiness work are brought to bear against 
professing holiness. Of course if the professing were 
out of the way none could be criticised as a professor 
of holiness. That would silence the clamoring, but it 
would at the same time dispose of the entire holiness 
idea. Silence the testimony, and you may as well 
write, ^Ichabody 

I need not tell you how this squeamishness originat- 
ed, how it was fostered, how it developed, the fact is 
before us. I am afraid the blame does not all rest 
with the opposer. The tendency of some friendly cau- 
tions and criticisms has been to ^-courage rather than 
to ^-courage the profession of holiness. 

I have thought already that too much attention is 
given to the professing of holiness, by objecting to, 
and modifying expressions, endeavoring to bring every- 
thing within the sphere of a certain line of phraseology, 
and not enough to the bottom-work of a holiness expe- 
rience. When any blunder is made, or any conduct 
manifests itself in one professing holiness, which is not 
•consistent with his profession, the professing is at once 
assailed and the idea advanced, that we should be very 
careful, and that such a one should make no such pro- 
fession. True, the life should correspond with the 
profession. But is there not another, a better way of 
solving this question ? Why not drive in a different 
direction ? Why not direct such to the blood of 
cleansing, urging them to bring up their experience to 
their profession ? 

The idea of professing holiness, as I understand it, is 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 163 

not to convince people that you are sanctified, but to 
glorify God and edify your fellow-beings, by telling 
what the Lord has done for you. We can, as true 
witnesses, only testify of that which w T e have experi- 
enced, and are expected to tell the whole truth. The 
experience is what w r e need first, and then the testimo- 
ny. We need thoroughness in experience, and liberty 
in professing. If your heart is full, you need not hes- 
itate to give your humble testimony. 

Now, if the experience is the main thing, why be 
constantly working at, mending and modifying the 
profession ? Why not rather encourage believers and 
say to them : " Seek full salvation ! Rush to the 
fountain of cleansing and be w T ashed ! Look by faith 
to Jesus, come fully under the blood and be made 
whiter than snow ! Be baptized w r ith the Holy Ghost 
and. with fire ! Follow the Spirit- — do not run ahead 
— follow the Spirit, as he leads }^ou in testifying for 
the Master. Assert your liberty ! " Should the lan- 
guage in professing holiness not meet with the approval 
of the fastidious, never mind, if the heart is right and 
filled, a little blundering in language will not do very 
much harm. 

If the attention could be turned from this cavilling 
in regard to professing holiness, and directed to the 
promotion of the experience, w r e would soon see an end 
of this squeamishness. If the efforts that are made to 
tone down the professing of holiness, were made to raise 
the experience to the true standard, and encourage the 
work, what results might be achieved ! 

Let all get under the blood, and abide there. Let 
all become " wholly sanctified," keep brimful of per- 



164 . VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

feet love, and be guided by the Holy Ghost, then pro- 
fessing will take care of itself. 

In 1870 Rev. R. Yeakel wrote some words of instruc- 
tion and caution to "Professors of Entire Sanctifica- 
tion," in which he says : 

"1. Be sure that you do not profess entire sanetifi- 
cation unless you know that you possess it. 2. But if 
your experience is genuine and Scriptural, and the 
Holy Spirit assures you of the 'things given,' which 
will soon begin to be confirmed by corresponding fruits 
in your life — do not hesitate to confess Jesus at once 
as your perfect Saviour, and recommend him as such 
to other believers. This is your sacred duty, and is a 
condition of your continuous future salvation. Only 
those that use the * talents ' entrusted will increase and 
be found worthy in the end. Christ will confess only 
those before his heavenly Father and his holy angels^ 
who are not ashamed to confess him before men" 

TWO KINDS OF PROFESSION. 

In 1873 the same writer published his experience in a 
series of articles, in the Living Epistle, at the close of 
which he points out two kinds of profession. This dis- 
tinction he gives clearly and correctly in the following 
words : I was regarded as a professor of "holiness" or 
" sanctification " on our circuit, though I had never made 
any profession in such terms. Having learned the 
depth and exceeding loathsomeness of my depraved 
" self," which I knew well enough had all been 
washed out b} T the blood of Christ, and the holy 
Saviour filling me with the Divine nature, yet I felt 
a strong repugnance to using the personal pronoun 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 165 

I in telling of it. I could not bring myself to the use 
of phrases like these: "lam entirely sanctified;" u l 
am holy ; " for Scripturally and truly speaking, it 
was " not I but Christ in me" He had become the 
moral center, the second Adam, substituting the first 
Adam within me. 

This led me to search the Scriptures on the subject 
of the '-profession of holiness." To my surprise I could 
not find anything whatever of it in the Bible, when the 
subject of confession was under consideration. On the 
contrary, I found commands directly and indirectly 
enjoining the confession of the personal Christ as our 
Saviour. I read what Christ said : " He that confesseth 
me before men, him will I confess before my heayenly 
Father and the holy angels/' Here I found a mutual, 
personal confession taught. When I read of Christ, 
that he is " made unto us of God, wisdom, righteous- 
ness, sanctification, and redemption, that according as it 
is written, '-'He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." 
I saw that Christ is both our sanctification and the sub- 
ject of confession, and all the good we haye, and all we 
haye to say about it is "in the Lord" who dwells in us 
by faith. Again, when I read, " Wherefore, holy breth- 
ren, partakers of the heayenly calling, consider the 
Apostle and High-Priest of our profession (' whom ice 
confess,' according to some other translations). Christ 
Jesus,'' I saw again that Christ personally and 
officially is the subject of confession. I need not 
multiply quotations, as the Xew Testament is full of it 
in unequiyocal terms. This confession, howeyer, is not 
to be made in an Antinomian sense, glorying in Christ 
with the lips, while we live in sin, but in the Scriptural 



166 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

Sense of "Christ being formed within us the hope of 
glory/' thus cleansing, sanctifying, saving, and using us 
for his glory. 

Entire sanctification considered as a definite experi- 
ence is Scriptural, but to make it a subject of confes- 
sion is not Scriptural, and will do nobody any good. The 
glorious Blesser is to be confessed and exalted in all his 
work, but not the blessing. It will not do to talk of 
the blessing chiefly, and call that confessing Christ. 
The Bible enjoins, throughout, a direct, personal con- 
fession of Christ, in explicit terms. We must put him 
always in the front, exhibit him in word and life ; our 
goodness as well as our badness must be left behind, 
and nothing be seen and known. but " Jesus alone" — 
and Jesus "all and in all" 

I could then say : ^ Jesus saves me fully ; his blood 
cleanseth me from all sin ; he is my sanctification ; he 
sanctifies me wholly, and keeps me ; and thus confess him 
in his work, and give him all the glory, but I could 
never say : "1 am saved ; 1 am pure ; I am holy ; I 
need not keep the blessing of holiness, it keeps me ; " 
leaving out Christ and speaking of "I" and "it" The 
latter idea that " it keeps me," is altogether groundless, 
the blessing cannot and does not keep itself nor any- 
body ; Christ alone saves and keeps us now and ever- 
more. To him be all the glory ! " 

"THE HOLY ONES." 

HTHIS significant title is the German form of the phrase 

"The Saints," by which term the true people of 

God are distinguished from unbelievers. Being a term 

employed by the Holy Ghost, in the inspired writings, 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 167 

it is evidently well chosen, and properly applied to the 
class which it is intended to designate. Blessed are they 
who rightfully bear the honors of this title ! It is 
more significant than all human titles put together, and 
yet it may be conferred upon a child, or upon persons 
who are illiterate, or poor. It belongs to all the chil- 
dren of our Great King. 

It is no dishonor to any person, in whatever position 
he may be, to be classed with the saints. If he is holy 
in the sense that God requires us to be holy, he can 
even afford to be persecuted for " belonging to the holy 
ones." 

Concerning this subject Bishop T. Bowman wrote as 
follows, for the Epistle of 1878 : 

This term, which occurs nearly a hundred times in 
the Scriptures, and seems really to have been a favorite 
term with the inspired writers when speaking of those 
who have become partakers of the Divine nature, has 
been used by many who profess to believe the Gospel, 
only to express contempt for those to whom they 
apply it ; just as if the endeavor to become holy were 
itself proof of sanctimonious hypocrisy, and as though 
all earnest godliness on the part of men was but hollow 
pretence, And this is done, too, in the face of the 
explicit declarations of the law of heaven, that only 
the pure in heart shall see God, and that without holi- 
ness no man shall see the Lord. 

That such things should be met with in denomina- 
tions which are composed principally of men and 
women who are dead in trespasses and sins, and 
strangers to the covenant of Israel, living without God 
and without hope in the world, relying for future 



168 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

salvation either on their Church-membership or the 
sacraments ; and the corner-stone of whose doctrine 
seems to be, that we are all miserable sinners and must 
remain such until we die, is not strange. That they 
should raise the cry of fanaticism, and sound the note 
of warning against being over-zealous, and that they 
should exhort to a daily confession of sin and be over- 
anxious lest some earnest ones might speak with a lit- 
tle too much enthusiasm about that which the Lord 
has done for their souls, is rather to be expected ; for 
nothing is so destructive to their business of selling 
souls for naught than downright earnest holiness, which 
has no communion with the unfruitful works of dark- 
ness, and which sings of God's mercies and talks of his 
mighty love, and his wondrous grace, and witnesses of 
his power to save even to the uttermost, and rejoices 
with joy unspeakable and full of glory, in the posses- 
sion of that perfect peace which passeth understanding. 
Its beauty charms, its power convicts, and its logic is 
irresistible. 

But why some men in our own Church, which has 
given the doctrine of holiness such prominence, at 
whose altars every minister has either declared in the 
presence of God and the people that he is in posses- 
sion of entire sanctification, or has solemnly obligated 
himself earnestly to seek this state of grace — why 
these should be under the necessity of continually 
defending their orthodoxy, and should feel themselves 
called to stand upon the watchtower and sound the 
note of alarm whenever and wherever efforts are made 
to advance on the line of holiness, seems strange. Here 
and there, it is true, some have run into dangerous 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 169 

extremes ; in a few congregations extreme measures 
have been made the standard of orthodoxy, and now 
and then some one has used extravagant language ; but 
while these things have been, and, I presume, will con- 
tinue to be of occasional occurrence, hundreds, yea 
thousands, are bringing reproach upon the Church, are 
perplexing the weak and distressing the strong, are full 
of envy and ill-will, and pride and covetousness, rest- 
ing content with their condition, because, forsooth, 
under a certain kind of preaching, in which conscience 
and the demands of the Bible to be holy and undefiled 
are very lightly touched, their minds become some- 
what excited, and, under a certain kind of singing, 
their sensational and emotional natures get somewhat 
aroused, and the} T have had " a good time," although they 
have no victory over sin, no real peace of mind, and no 
willingness to make any sacrifice for Christ. 

And yet how seldom do we hear from the lips of 
these over-caatious, conservative men any earnest, stir- 
ring, whole-souled appeal to the lagging ones to come 
up to the front, to take more advanced ground, to give 
themselves wholly and without mental reservation to 
Him who died for them. Why are these things so? 
Do we not find the answer in the fact that our doctrine 
on entire sanctification is not fully believed and ac- 
cepted ? Either it is held that we are made entirely 
holy in the hour of conversion, so that there remains 
neither impurity of the flesh nor of the spirit, and no need 
for further and deeper purification by the blood and the 
Spirit, or else that there is doubt whether we can be 
saved from all sin before death, and hence it becomes 
lis, instead of witnessing to the power of the blood to 



170 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

cleanse from all sin, " to lie in the dust every day and 
cry, God be merciful to me a sinner." 

O dear brethren, in view of the many sickly ones, 
the many that sleep, and the many who, I fear, are 
dying spiritually, let us lift high the standard of the 
cross ! Let us cry aloud, Behold the Lamb, whose 
blood presents us holy, without spot, or wrinkle, or any 
such thing. While we ought fearlessly to check ex- 
travagance, the trumpet ought to give no uncertain 
sound. Place no "ifs" or "buts" in any of your ser- 
mons or exhortations as to the ability and the willingness 
of our Redeemer, who is Lord of all, to save unto the 
uttermost, and to present us without blemish before 
God, if we give ourselves into his hands wholly and 
unconditionally, and trust him fully. Lord, revive 
thy work ! Amen ! — 

After reading these pointed words from the Bishop,, 
the reader will doubtless be interested in hearing his 
voice further. Hence, I next quote from one of his 
sermons. The theme of which is 

GOING ON TO PERFECTION. 

His text is Heb. 6. 1, 2, on which he speaks thus r 
I presume it will be necessary for me to define what we 
are to understand by the term perfection. It should 
not be necessary for me to say that neither absolute 
nor angelic, nor Adamic perfection can be meant. 

These, it must be conceded, are impossibilities, and 
Paul was too sober a man to exhort his Christian 
brethren to run after an ideal to which it was impossible 
to attain. 

1. It is not perfection in knowledge. This would 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 171 

imply infallibility. As there is often knowledge with- 
out grace, so frequently there are great depths of grace 
with a very limited knowledge. Sin may be expelled, 
but much ignorance remain, although divine knowledge 
combined with love greatly promotes true holiness, 
giving the mind clearer comprehensions of duty, and 
more delicate views of God's holy will. Upon the 
other hand holiness increases our knowledge of divine 
things, hence the Scriptures combine growing in grace 
with knowledge, still at least in this life our knowledge 
cannot become perfect. 

2. It does not imply freedom from temptation. This 
is evident from the fact that although our first parents 
were created in righteousness and true holiness, yet 
they w r ere liable to temptation ; and our Saviour who 
knew no sin was tempted in all points like as we are — 
tempted to forsake his mission for worldly honor, to be 
selfish, to act presumptuous, yea, even to worship the 
devil ! Hence, we shall always be liable to temptation. 
However, it is no sin to be tempted ; it is only a sin 
when we } r ield to temptation. Only when temptation 
hath conceived doth it bring forth sin. 

3. It does not imply the extinction of our animal 
propensities. These are a part of our nature, inherent 
and essential to our constitution. Adam certainly 
possessed them in Paradise. The Saviour of the world 
had them. The Bible nowhere condemns our pro- 
pensities as sinful. Their gratification in forbidden 
objects, or in an inordinate degree offends God and 
enslaves man. It is, therefore, not the province of 
religion to destroy them, but to regulate and control 



172 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

them, and render even the lowest instincts of our 
nature, faculties by which to glorify God. 

4. It does not imply exemption from the danger of 
falling away. Certainty it diminishes that danger, be- 
cause we are farther removed from the tempter's influ- 
ence, and live nearer to God, yet as we remain in a 
state of probation while on earth we cannot be beyond 
the reach of danger. The exact doctrine of our 
Church on this point is thus formulated : " Sin has, as 
it were, lost all its power against such an one, he being 
surrounded by the love of God as with a wall of fire. 
The flesh, the world, and Satan are under his feet, and 
he rules over his enemies ; yet watching, and not 
slumbering." 

5. Nor does this state imply incessant rapture. 
Freedom from slavish fear, peace — perfect peace, is 
promised, and thank Gocl, may be enjoyed, but tears 
and anxiety and sorrows will remain while on earth. 
We find Elijah in grief, and Jeremiah in tears, and 
Paul sorrowful, although he rejoices. Even our Saviour 
wept — wept because Lazarus was dead ; he also wept 
over Jerusalem. In this valley of bitter disappoint- 
ments the holiest perhaps find more cause for sorrow 
and tears than they find occasions for rejoicing. Still, 
thank God, #iere may be and is inward peace while bit- 
ter tears may be coursing down our cheeks. 

Having shown in what this state does not consist, 
I proceed to speak positively as to what Perfection does 
imply. First, however, allow me to say that it must 
mean something — that this term would not be used so 
frequently in the Scriptures if there were no meaning 
attached to it. Allow me to quote some of the more 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 173 

prominent passages of the New Testament in which it 
occurs : Matt. 5. 48 ; 2 Cor. 13. 11 ; Heb. 13. 20, 21 ; 
1 Pet. 5. 10 ; 2 Cor. 13. 9 ; Col. 1. 28. Now certainly 
these passages, these exhortations and promises must 
mean something. It is more than simply an empty 
term. 

1. It implies perfect control of our animal propen- 
sities, or as they are sometimes termed, our natural 
passions. It is certainly true that in a limited sense 
every child of God has control over himself, does not 
walk after the flesh, nor fulfil the desires of the flesh 
and of the mind, but has been delivered by grace. 
However, it is a matter of universal experience, accord- 
ing to both the Bible and our Book of Discipline, that 
young or weak Christians, sometimes yield more or 
less, either voluntarily or negligently. The perfect 
Christian, however, stands so firmly and immovably 
that he can parry and gain the victory over any tempta- 
tion the moment it may present itself. Hence it is 
complete victory over our propensities and passions. 
" The flesh, the world, and Satan are under his feet, and 
he rules over his enemies ; yet watching and not 
slumbering." 

2. It implies deliverance from all evil affections and 
desires. Not, as some have indicated, an extinction of 
desire. This, would be equivalent to, an extinction of 
being — of existence ; but deliverance from desire for 
gratification in evil, from love for that which is forbidden, 
and inclination towards that which is opposed to right. 
That usually the regenerated are conscious of desire for 
and inclination toward sinful gratification is a fact which 
it is useless to deny. They restrain these desires, how- 



174 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

ever, because they know it is wrong to indulge them, 
and because it leads to ruin, and displeases God. 
Christian Perfection implies that our affections and 
desires lean towards the right, that sin in all its varied 
forms, and in its most attractive features, becomes 
repugnant, and holiness is desired and loved for its 
own sake. To do God's will becomes the passion of the 
soul, and is its meat and drink. Hence, the perfect 
Christian bears no ill-will against any human being, 
and will not in any manner avenge a wrong, but he has 
a loving forgiving disposition. Charity hides a multi- 
tude of sins, and what it cannot hide it will forgive. 

3. It implies perfect resignation to the will of God, 
so that we follow whithersoever he leadeth, through 
good and evil report, poor or rich, in sickness and in 
health, through honor or dishonor, in prosperity or 
adversity, even giving thanks unto God the Father in 
all things. When love has become perfect it casts out 
all tormenting fear, and cries : " The Lord is my shep- 
herd, I shall not want." — 

ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION. 

TTERE is another editorial voice which gives distinct 
utterance on holiness, in the Christliche Botschafter 
of 1877. It is the voice of Rev. M. Lauer, the Senior 
Agent of the Evangelical Publishing House. 

He says : It is a cheering fact that Protestant Chris- 
tendom is comprehending more and more the glorious 
truth, that it is the duty as well as the privilege of all 
true Christians to be cleansed from all sin, i. e., to be- 
come wholly sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ. Sanc- 
tification has its beginning in the new birth. Every 



THE VOICE OP THE PRESS. 175 

regenerated person is, by virtue of his regeneration, 
also sanctified, but not wholly sanctified. He is not sanc- 
tified throughout soul, body, and spirit. He who has 
been born again, has indeed become a new creature, but 
is not yet wholly sanctified. At the time of his jus- 
tification the sinner obtains full pardon, and with the 
new birth he receives the power with which he is to 
have dominion over all sin ; still he is not fully cleansed 
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. By virtue of 
his regeneration he is a child of God, and is called to a 
hoty walk, a fully consecrated heart and life, perfect 
cleansing, and an inheritance with the saints in light. 
But notwithstanding this high calling, the experience 
of the regenerated testifies that there is still something 
that is sinful, cleaving to them inwardly, which often 
becomes a burden, and at times is the cause of severe 
conflicts. 

Most of those who remain faithful and endeavor to 
serve God uprightly, after they have been born again, 
soon become conscious of the fact that there is 
still something remaining which is inclined to pride, 
anger, self-exaltation, wilfulness, selfishness, etc. I do 
not assert that the experience of all regenerated per- 
sons, concerning the points alluded to, are alike in pro- 
portion. With some it may be only one or two sinful 
affections which seek to assert themselves. With 
others, they may also differ in their power. But all 
feel, almost daily, that there is still something remain- 
ing from which they must be saved, i. e., fully sanctified. 

Now here comes the important point to decide. 
Shall we teach that the child of God must continue in 
a state of such besetments ; or that it is sufficient to 



176 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

simply keep these sins in subjection ? Can the gra- 
cious state of regeneration be at all maintained by virtue 
of such consolations ? I doubt it. Is it not much bet- 
ter and safer to show to all who have the beginning of 
the inward Christian life, the full plan of salvation 
according to the Scriptures, namely, that they may^ 
through faith in Jesus, be saved from all sin, be 
cleansed even from the last remains of sin, w T hether it 
be in the spirit or the will, — yea, that they may be 
wholly sanctified through faith in Jesus ? Most certainly. 
The Lord desires to restore his full image in all his 
children. Whoever becomes indifferent about striving 
for entire sanctification, after he is born again, "indulges 
in fleshly lusts which war against the soul " (1 Pet. 2. 
11), allows the "old man" to reign (Kom. 6. 5-11), 
grieves the Holy Spirit, and will certainly make ship- 
wreck of faith (1 Tim. 1. 19). As justification and 
regeneration must succeed genuine evangelical repent- 
ance, so also in experimental religion entire sanctifica- 
tion is required after regeneration, for "without holi- 
ness no man shall see the Lord" (Heb. 12. 14). 

Our salvation through Christ is complete. He is 
willing and able to save us wholly from all sin ; yea, 
even from inherited depravity, and to sanctify us 
"through and through." I believe that in the experi- 
ence of every converted person a period arrives w T hen, 
unless he earnestly seeks entire sanctification, or has 
already experienced it, he cannot well make any prog- 
ress in true godliness. Several of the most eminent 
Protestant divines of different denominations hold this 
view. Drs. Dorner, Stier, Julius Mueller, Rothe, and 
others assert that it is in the very nature of things, 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 177 

that without the earnest seeking or possession of true 
holiness no abiding blessing of God can follow. 
Paul, in writing to the Hebrews, says : " Now the 
God of peace, that brought again from the dead our 
Lord Jesus Christ, that great Shepherd of the sheep^ 
through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make 
3 T ou perfect in every good work to do his will, working 
in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, throughi 
Jesus Christ ; to whom be glory forever and ever.. 
Amen." (Heb. 13. 20, 21.) Every Christian is in- 
wardly to love, perfectly, that which God loves, and: 
hate that which he hates, and thus, to a certain degree., 
become like God. To this end, entire cleansing from 
all sinful affections, entire sanctification, is requisite, 
"because it is written, Be ye holy ; for I am holy. n 
(1 Pet. 1. 16.) This sanctification Jesus will accom- 
plish in the hearts of all his children who earnestly 
desire it by the cleansing power of the Holy Ghost, 
through faith in him, and on the ground of his accom- 
plished atonement. By entire sanctification they are to 
be made holy. 

I here give the substance of the testimony of 
several other noted theologians regarding this doctrine. 
Watson says : " Sanctification includes our entire deliv- 
erance from all filthiness of the spirit as well from 
inward depravity, as also from filthiness of the flesh 
arising from the sinful use of our senses and the members 
of our body ; also the impartation of the love of God 
so fully in us, that our hearts are wholly subdued by 
it." Archbishop Leighton writes concerning entire 
sanctification : "As our spirits and bodies in the power 
of Satan formerly resisted God, to the same degree 
12 



178 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

they now render willing obedience ; not a part, but the 
whole commandment is comprehended in this love ; 
man is not partially, but wholly, not for a time, but for- 
ever, subjected to him." Bishop Foster says in his 
book, entitled " Christian Purity, or the Heritage of 
Faith," substantially this: "We believe that it is the 
privilege of every Christian to attain to a state of grace 
in which he is, in the proper sense, entirely free from 
inward and outward sin, a state in which he will not do 
anything wrong, in which no unholy desire is in him, 
in which the whole outer being of life and the whole 
inner being of the heart is pure before God — not ac- 
cording to his absolutely perfect law, but according to 
the law of his Gospel which he has given unto us." 
To the definition given by Wesley of heart purity and 
salvation, from all sin, inward and outward, the whole 
Methodist Church subscribes. In the symbols of the 
Reformed Church there is a direct reference to sanc- 
tification. So we find in the Swiss confession of faith, 
in the article concerning the Church, that the same con- 
sists of the congregation of the saints, and which, as 
the bride of Christ, through whose blood she has been 
purified, shall finally be presented to the Father with- 
out spot. 

In our book of Discipline, under the Article on 
Christian Perfection, it is asserted that our Church, too, 
holds to the doctrine of entire sanctification and Chris- 
tian perfection. Our membership should frequently 
and attentively read this Article. In it the main point, 
that sanctification consists in being fully saved from all 
sin — that is to say, from all evil affections and desires 
— is established. 






THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 179 

Concerning the doctrine of sanctification and Chris- 
tian perfection, the Evangelical Association does not 
wish to be misunderstood. The General Conference of 
1867 advised our ministers most earnestly to use such 
expressions and modes of speech, both in their private 
teaching and in their public ministrations, in regard to 
this highly important subject, as not to be misunder- 
stood, nor lead to departures from the plainly expressed 
sense of our doctrine, so that there be one opinion 
among us, and, as near as possible, the same mode of 
expression be used. 

No theory and no argument should be enunciated by 
our preachers, in word or writing, which is in conflict 
with our doctrine of entire sanctification or Christian 
perfection. Our Church holds it to be in accordance 
with the Scriptures. We have taught and believed it 
from the beginning. The practical part might be 
emphasized more, and, in general, be more thoroughly 
experienced and practiced. 

NO HEAVEN WITHOUT HOLINESS. 

T7NDER the title "A Ruinous Error," I find the fol- 
lowing in the Epistle of 1869, from the pen of Rev. 
H. B. Hartzler, the present editor of the Ev. Messenger. 
He says : 

The sinner sometimes thinks and says that God is 
too good to banish any soul of man from his presence 
and the glory of his power forever. Professed Chris- 
tians oftentimes think, if they do not say it, that the 
Lord is too gracious and kind to exclude them from 
heaven, even though they are consciously remiss in 
duty, and deliberately divide their services between 



180 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

God and Mammon. Some say that if one is a good 
Christian (?) in all other respects, a merciful God will 
not banish him from the presence of his glory merely 
because of a lack of holiness. 

But how strangely do such characters misapprehend 
the goodness of God ! How direct the antagonism 
between such views and the teachings of the Bible I 
God is too good to receive an unholy soul into heaven ! 
It is his goodness that forever will and forever must ex- 
clude the impure and unholy from his heavenly king- 
dom, and from the purity and glory of his presence. 
We can see what sin is in its nature and tendencies. 
"We can read it in the tears, and woes, and groans, and 
sorrows, and blood, and graves of our world, and in 
the lurid light of a quenchless hell. 

Shall God keep no spot in the vast universe un- 
touched by the hellish denier — no place where those 
who love and possess holiness, and hate and avoid sin^ 
may dwell forever, secure from its approach, in an 
atmosphere of untainted purity ? Could God be good 
if he would open heaven, with its blood-washed, holy 
millions, its radiant spotless angels and archangels, 
and receive sinners who passed by the fountain of 
blood unwashed, refusing to become meet for his holy 
kingdom ? 

No ! no ! God is to good to blast the hopes of all the 
good, the pure, the holy. Do you see what would 
come of it if the unholy should be permitted to enter 
heaven ? Look at it, and then tell us whether God 
could be good if he would welcome unholiness there ! 

The sinner, unsaved from his sins must be 
as wretched in heaven as in hell. Sin in heaven 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 181 

would be sin still — an infectious, devilish, tormenting 
tlisease that would blast, and blight, and ruin whatever 
it touched. The unholy, then, would gain nothing by 
being admitted there, while the holy would sustain 
infinite loss. What possible motive, then, could exist, 
or what reason could be found for taking the unholy 
into the celestial city ? 

Beware how you venture your soul on a hair-bridge 
across the bottomless abyss ! Without holiness no 
man shall see the Lord ! God cannot give the unholy 
a place with himself, while he is good and gracious, 
holy, true, and just. And will Jehovah deny himself 
and abdicate his throne to give you heaven because 
you will not wash in the cleansing fountain of the Re- 
deemer's blood ? stupendous folly of a dying 
worm ! Go, tremble before Infinite Purity, bow your 
will to the requirements of his word, and "be ye hoh~," 
for He who calls you is holy ! 

OUR SANCTIFICATICN PERSONAL. 

A NOTHER voice of no uncertain sound, which was 
frequent!}' heard through the first volumes of 
the Living Epistle, is that of Rev. S. L. Wiest, the pres- 
ent Corresponding Secretary of our Missionary Society. 
Concerning our personal sanctification, he says : 

If we keep to the old land-marks we shall alwa}^s be 
safe ; but the moment we get beyond, we are in danger. 
We find a great man}' sincere defenders of holiness 
allowing themselves to be drawn away from Bible lan- 
guage and Bible sense, in order to make the experience 
of sanctification less obnoxious to opponents. They 
make concessions which seriously invalidate the grand 



182 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

fact that we are sanctified through the atonement of 
Jesus Christ. The} r , to a certain extent, separate be- 
lievers from their sanctification. This is as erroneous 
as to separate our sanctification from Jesus Christ. 

The idea has found currency that as Christ is our 
sanctification, he covers our deformities, and we may 
retain our inward depravity and be saved from sin, and 
its consequences. This, we think, arises from the great 
stress, that is laid upon the expression, " Christ is our 
sanctification." That Christ is the author and source 
of our sanctification admits of no question, but he is 
this to every believer, whether he is sanctified wholly 
or not. Christ suffered and died in our stead, 
but he cannot be holy in our stead. Although 
Christ is the sole meritorious cause of our sanc- 
tification, yet, unless we through him become puri- 
fied, even as he is pure, we have not yet made a perso- 
nal appropriation of him as our entire sanctification. 
We may believe that Christ is our sanctification, and 
fail to realize the transforming influence of this great 
work in our hearts, because we may misunderstand the 
full intent of Christ as our sanctification. However, 
we cannot fail to realize in our lives the blessed results 
of holiness when we believe that Christ sanctifies us. 
Our sanctification is not to be a covering unto us, but 
it is to be a part of our nature. We are to be thorough- 
ly imbued, throughout our entire being, with holiness. 
Christ prays for his disciples, " Sanctify them through, 
thy truth ; thy word is truth." 

Here is a personal application of sanctifying power. 
The Bible teaches that we are to be sanctified wholly ; 
that we are to be made perfect in love ; that we are 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 183 

to be made pure ; that we are to have clean hearts ; 
that we are to be cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh 
and spirit ; that we are to be holy ; because God is holy. 
It is Christ's design to destroy — root out — all the 
deformities of our moral nature. When the work is 
fully accomplished then we are wholly sanctified ; yet ? 
at the same time, inseparably connected with the 
author of our sanctification. 

The sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit is not only 
to complete the work, but it is to remain with us for- 
ever. 

We are never to be without it. We must retain it 
constantly, or we fail. It is our property, as all other 
things are, in Christ Jesus. 

Concerning the time 

WHEN WE MAY BE SANCTIFIED, 

Bro. W. says : The fact that the Bible teaches 
a difference in time, in our regeneration and entire sanc- 
tification, is so evident that it has been received as an 
established truth in theolog}-. The following passages 
will make it plain to all candid inquirers : "And I, 
brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, 
but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. For 
ye are yet carnal ; for whereas there is among 3-ou envy- 
ing, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal and 
walk as men ? " Having, therefore, these promises, 
dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthi- 
ness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the 
fear of God. "For this is the will of God, even your 
sanctification." "And the very God of peace sanctify 



184 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

you wholly." "Sanctify them through thy truth; thy 
word is truth." 

These Scriptures all refer to believers who are not 
wholly sanctified. Although we do not deny that there 
may be cases where persons are wholly sanctified in 
conversion, yet we believe such cases are rare. Experi- 
ence unites with the Bible in teaching that the entire 
sanctifieation of the believer is a work wrought after 
regeneration. 

If then, believers are sanctified but in part when con- 
verted, how soon may a consummation of the work be 
expected ? The Scriptures have fixed no time, but 
they say to all men, saints and sinners, "Now is the 
accepted time." 

THE CONDITIONS OF OUR ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION. 

Is not a certain preparation necessary before the 
believer can enter into this blessed state ? Undoubt- 
edly there is. The sinner, before he can be "born 
again," must comply with certain conditions ; and so 
the believer must make certain preparations, or comply 
with certain conditions, before he can be wholly sanc- 
tified. This preparation is hastened, and the glad 
moment approaches in proportion to the earnestness 
with which the believer pants for a clean heart. There 
is no period in the history of an}^ true Christian when 
he has not a personal interest in the work of entire 
sanctification. Babes in Christ are urged to "go on to 
perfection." It is our privilege and duty to seek after 
perfect love as soon as we are members of Christ's king- 
dom. God is no respecter of persons, but rewards all 
who diligently seek him. We would, therefore, say to 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 185 

every inquirer, "now" is the time to seek entire sanc- 
tifieation ; "now is the day of salvation." 

HOLINESS A BIBLE DOCTRINE. 

TJARK! another voice has spoken! It comes from 
the East, where wisdom and true orthodoxy are 
supposed to reign. As far as I know no one ever 
questioned either the ability or the theological sound- 
ness of this familiar evangelical voice. I refer to Rev. 
Jesse Yeakel. In an article in the second volume of 
the Evangelical Magazine he discusses the subject of 
Bible holiness thus : 

Concerning this highly important subject, to which 
the attention of so many is unusually drawn at present, 
there are three facts which are so evident, that they can- 
not escape the notice of any unprejudiced Bible 
reader. 

First fact : — The Holy Scriptures recognize all regen- 
erate souls as being sanctified, and therefore call them 
saints-- Read: Rom. 12. 13; 1 Cor. 1. 2. and 6. 11; 
Eph. 5. 3; Col. 3. 12. So also the believers of Lydda 
(Acts 9. 32), of Jerusalem (Rom. 15. 26), of Ephesus 
(Eph. 1. 1), and of Philippi (Phil. 1. 1), were called 
" saints." 

This well-established Bible doctrine finds sufficient 
proof in this : 

1. That every regenerate soul has obtained the par- 
don of all sin, through faith in Jesus Christ. This 
needs no further proof. 

2. That every regenerate soul is delivered from the 
dominion of sin. Whoever has not obtained victory 
over sin, is still a servant of sins and, consequently, is 



186 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

not born again. Herein is established the saying of 
Paul, that where sin did abound, there grace did much 
more abound; because he that is regenerated has vic- 
tory over sin. Read Rom. 6. 14-22 ; Col. 1. 13 ; 
1 John 3. 6-10. Admitting that not many who obtain 
grace, w T alk according to this standard, yet this does 
not change the matter, for the cause is not in the grace* 
but in our yielding. This circumstance cannot change 
the Bible standard of regeneration. 

3. That every soul that is regenerated is walking in a 
new life. This is a natural result of the facts already 
stated, and the proof of it is so well established in the 
daily life of such, that further evidence would be 
superfluous. Read Rom. 13. 12 ; Eph. 2. 3 ; 1 Pet. L 
14 and 4. 3, 4. 

Second fact. The Scriptures teach a further cleans- 
ing of believers , and hence, the holiness that is begun in 
them is not perfect. Read Mai. 3. 3 ; John 15. 2 and 
17. 17 ; Rom. 12. 1, 2 ; 2 Cor. 7. 1 ; Eph. 4. 22-24; 
Col. 3. 9, 10 ; 1 Thess. 5. 23 ; 1 Pet. 2. 1, 2 ; 1 John 3. 
3 ; Heb. 12. 14. 

Besides the absurdity of the thought that in the life 
of a "babe" in Christ, in which holiness is a feature^ 
there should already be a perfection, let us also con- 
sider the following facts, which confirm the above pass- 
ages of Scripture : 

1. The difference that is often manifest between them 
and the pattern of holiness set before them in the 
character of Christ. It need not be argued here that 
we must have the mind that was also in Christ ; that 
we are to follow him in his footsteps. But it might be 
well for us to take special notice of a few of these 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 187 

footsteps. First of all, let it be remembered that dur- 
ing all his earthly life it zoas the chief aim of Christ to da 
the will of his Father in heaven. Although in posses- 
sion of the greatest wealth, the highest honors, and the 
most perfect happiness : he submitted to the greatest 
poverty, the deepest humiliation, and the severest suf- 
ferings. More : He gave "himself" The last and most 
exalted of these footsteps is this: u I delight to do thy 
will" — even if it lead from riches to poverty, from 
honor to humiliation, from happiness to suffering, yet I 
delight in it ! — And now, beloved children of God (I 
don't mean the lukewarm or the backslidden), how 
about the "following"? You have experienced the new 
birth ; but were then all ungodly self-seeking and 
striving after worldly honor, ease and comfort, so totally 
destroyed, or rooted out of your heart, that you could 
always heartily repeat the language of your great ex- 
emplar :— " I delight to do thy will, God"? Can 
you imitate your Divine Pattern in this, even if it lead 
you into poverty, scorn, and suffering ? Oh, how posi- 
tively facts testify to the contrary ! 

2. This fact is further confirmed by the voice of con- 
science, from all sincere children of God, of all times. 
But of this inner voice little would be known if it had 
not given expression in almost innumerable writings, 
songs, and confessions. Who has not already heard 
the many lamentations and deep sighs of such, because 
of their injurious weights and besetments ? Who has 
not heard the fervent pra} T ers of these earnest souls for 
deliverance from these evils ? Verily, we cannot mis- 
take these voices ! And — mark } t ou, the voices do 
not come from those who have grown cold in love, not 



188 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

from the dead members of the Church, not from the 
backsliders ; but from the upright, earnest, faithful 
ones. 

Third Fact. The Holy Scriptures teach that there 
is a perfection of holiness — a state of being sanctified 
wholly, or through and through. In Matt. 5. 44-48 ; 
Eph. 1. 4 and 1 Pet. 1. 15, 16, our entire sanctifica- 
tion is set forth as being the will of God, as plainly as 
words can tell it. In Eph. 5. 27 ; Tit. 2. 14 and 1 John 
1. 7-9, the same is set forth just as unequivocally as 
the end for which Christ gave himself A few passages 
which speak of our (subjectively) becoming such, and of 
the manner of attaining to it, deserve more particular 
notice here. 

The prophet (Mai. 3. 3) speaks figuratively of the 
purifying of silver and gold ; and who does not know 
that the result of this is entire purfication ? Accord- 
ing to Matt. 3. 33, the three measures of meal which 
receive the leaven become entirely " leavened." In 
Rom. 6. 11, we are taught to be like Christ, by being 
dead indeed unto sin. In 1 Cor. 7. 1, Paul exhorts us to 
perfect purity. According to Eph. 4. 22 and Col. 3. 9, 
the believers are to put off the old man, and on the 
other hand, they are to put on Christ. 

They are to be renewed in the spirit of their mind, — 
they are to put on the new man. (Eph. 4. 23, 24 ; Col. 
3. 10.) 

These passages and figures, which we hear expressed 
every day, are so clear, so expressive, so appropriate, 
that we need simply to let them mean what they say, 
not only to know the truth, but also to speak in per- 
fect harmony with our previous quotations, concerning 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 189 

the will of God, and the end for which Christ gave 
himself — namely for our sanctification. Let us con- 
sider further : 

1. That faith in the divinity of Jesus Christ, whom 
we acknowledge as our model, demands that we rec- 
ognize the ability of his mediation as sufficient for 
us, in order that we may be enabled to walk in his 
footsteps, i. e., to live holy as he is holy. To deny this 
latter, would, according to all reason, be incompatible 
with faith in his divinity. 

2. That faith in the divinity of the Holy Ghost, who is 
acknowledged to be one with the Father and with the 
Son, demands that the sanctifying efficacy of the same 
be considered adequate to our sanctification, as God the 
Father wills it, and as God the Son has provided it. 
To deny this, would, according to all reason, be incom- 
patible with faith in the divinity of the Holy Ghost ; 
yea, with faith in a divine trinity. 

Whatever objections and questions human criticism 
may offer concerning the doctrine of holiness, there is 
a solution, according to the rules of criticism ; and, 
even if there were not, these are less than nothing in 
comparison with the distinct utcerances of the Divine 
Word ; for when the Lord speaketh all the earth should 
keep silent. Meanwhile the most important matter is, 
that we become and be what the Divine "thou shalt" 
demands. Be sure of this, that to the Divine "shall" is 
also joined a corresponding can ; for the commands of 
God can never stand opposed to his promises. 



190 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

THE "HOLINESS MOVEMENT/' 

HTHE attention given by some of our writers to the 
so-called holiness movement deserves mention at 
this place. Even friendly criticisms, which point out 
errors and mistakes^ while at the same time they give 
words of encouragement to help the " movement" for- 
ward, are voices that should be heard. But the good 
fruits of this wonderful revival of holiness, with all the 
defects that may accompany it, must not be over- 
looked. Indeed they must be apparent to all unbiased 
readers and observers. The first voice on this subject 
is from Rev. R. Yeakel, Principal of Union Biblical 
Institute, at Naperville, 111. He writes thus of 

ITS DEFECTS. 

I have always considered the holiness movement as 
a work of God, because of its unselfish commencement, 
and the spirituality and earnestness of its first leaders, 
who certainty did not enter upon this work to seek 
place and high salary, much less the applause of men 
or the friendship of carnal professors and the world, 
but aimed right for the heart, and preached the Word 
of God with divine unction and searching power. And 
the measures they adopted were in the main appropriate, 
and adapted to bring men to the "valley of decision" 
for God and his cause. I attended but one National 
Camp-meeting — some years ago — but the power of 
God that prevailed and penetrated the thousands 
present, so that sinners in many cases could not resist 
it, and believers also were carried forward into the un- 
fathomable love of God, convinced me then and there 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 191 

that God was in the work, and that it had a mission to 
accomplish in the Church. And this conviction has 
not been shaken in the least by all the unfair criticisms 
and many spiteful remarks and insinuations of some 
religious papers. If such writers could see what a 
sorry little figure they make in using the magnifying 
glass of prejudice and hatred to turn little blemishes 
that unavoidably cling to even good men and means, 
into great mountains, they would quit such small busi- 
ness, and turn their weapons upon the devil's kingdom, 
where there are castles and fortresses of darkness 
enough to demolish ! 

By no means would I hereby say that this move- 
ment needs no advice or even correction. It does ; and 
I often have wished more of it would be given in the 
rijht spirit. It has its faults and weaknesses, and if 
some of them are not cured, it will end in failure. I 
will name a few of these. 

1. In my humble opinion its greatest lack is, that it 
pays too little attention to a thoroiigh discovery of re- 
maining moral depravity in believers. It is true, 
theoretically, this is postulated, but how seldom do the 
writers and preachers of entire sanctification search- 
ingly dwell upon it, and show the necessity of first 
knowing deeply and even painfully the need of such 
sanctification. And yet a deep knowledge and urgent 
realization that the believer needs to " perfect holiness," 
lie indispensably at the bottom of true sanctification. 
If one does not realize the need of it, he can never 
exercise faith in Christ for it, and he never will. We 
must first be hungry and thirsty, in order to eat and 
drink ; we must first realize our disorders before we 



192 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

apply to the plrysician for cure. Without this, con- 
version will be superficial, and the same holds good on 
psychological and theological grounds, with reference to 
entire sanctification. Nearly all superficiality and self- 
deception are directly attributable to this deficiency. 

2. Again, in my opinion, there is too little of outward 
sanctification preached. Too much dependence is placed 
upon the assertion that the outward will take care of 
itself, provided the inner work is right. According to 
the Bible both must be practiced together, and we find 
that the apostles wrote and preached a great deal on 
the outward appearance and conduct of believers, and 
insisted that they should lay off outward acts and things 
that were not pure, and even flee the very appearance 
of evil. The Word of God and true holiness enter 
into and purify all departments of outward life and 
practice, as well as the inner man. * * * 

I have a deep conviction that the "movement," with 
all its untold good, lacks in these and several other 
respects. As to other points, that " enemies of holi- 
ness" — and I use this expression deliberately — en- 
deavor to make as to certain eccentricities and personal 
peculiarities of some who are specialty engaged in this 
movement, they are not worthy of notice. And such 
stigmas as "Inskipism," and •' Inskipioesen" as one 
sneeringly called this movement, will do as little harm 
as "Abolitionism," " Wesleyanism," etc., did in their 
day. 

As far as my observation goes, this movement has 
been conducted somewhat too much upon the line of 
certain measures and methods in some sections. I have 
not a word to say against the use of sensible and ap- 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 193 

propriate measures to bring men to decisive action at 
certain crises in religious progress. The "mourner's 
bench," or, as we now call it, "altar work," has always 
been such a means among us and the Methodists- — and 
our Evangelical fathers very frequently also used 
special means to promote entire sanctification as a dis- 
tinct work and experience, such as raising hands, com- 
ing forward for prayers, standing up, etc. The blessed' 
Saviour himself did at times request those who wanted 
to be healed to do special things. 

But when means and measures become stereotyped or 
a mere habit they lose their appropriateness and useful- 
ness, and when they are relied upon and in whole or in 
part substituted for the searching proclamation of the 
Word of God, and the convincing and cleansing power 
of the Holy Ghost, then they become positively detri- 
mental to the work. I am afraid too much of this has 
been mixed with the " holiness movement." And yet- 
withal I have no doubt that it was well meant, though 
not wisely used. 

This leads me to another point. In its later years 
this movement has been to a considerable extent 
guided and controlled by young, inexperienced persons. 
When I say young I mean such as have been recently 
converted, or, perhaps, been reclaimed from a luke- 
warm condition. A writer in the Christian Standard 
and Home Journal, endorsed by the editor, Rev. J. S- 
Inskip, makes the following points in this direction,, 
which say precisely what I wish to say : " It is lamen- 
tably true that some unworthy, a good many irrespon- 
sible, and many warm-hearted, zealous, but unqualified 
persons have pushed themselves out as evangelical 
13 



194 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

workers. They are unqualified for two reasons : First, 
they have but just been converted, and have usually 
come into the experience of holiness at the same meet- 
ing. In from three to six months thereafter they have 
pushed out into evangelistic work. Secondly, many of 
them are quite young and very impulsive. In their 
zeal they are a little inclined to denounce pretty freely 
all who call in question their call to, or fitness for work. 
They sometimes denounce the Church," etc. These 
remarks doubtless apply more particularly to things 
occurring within the M. E. Church, but may not be 
quite amiss among us. To my mind the main fault 
with such young " holiness leaders " is their idea, that 
they were converted and entirely sanctified at the same 
meeting ! I doubt not they had some such impression, 
received, perhaps, from what the}^ heard from others 
around them. From all I ever could learn from ex- 
perience, observation, and the Bible, the idea of con 
version this hour and the next hour entire sanctification, 
without knowing the nature, need or distinctness of entire 
sanctification — is a delusive impression. And being 
started this way such persons are apt to go by impres- 
sions. The writer above quoted says further : u They 
think they are led exclusively and unerringly by the 
Holy Spirit, deal largely in impressions, and somewhat 
in dreams and visions. Those who fall in with them 
become like them," etc. The "holiness movement" 
can only suffer by such well-meaning, but deceived per- 
sons. It ought to be led by experienced and scriptur- 
ally wise men, who are full of faith and the Holy 
Ghost, and able to discern and judge from having their 
spiritual senses well exercised. These men, especially 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 195 

those who are placed at the head of the Church, ought 
to take the lead, and by preaching, writing, leading and 
adopting proper measures, awaken the Church and keep 
her wide awake on this glorious doctrine and experience, 
striving mightily in the power of God to present every 
believer perfect in Christ Jesus. 

I had already commenced to write on the bright side 
of the "holiness movement," when I deeply felt the 
necessity of touching a few more of its defects, for they 
seem too serious to be overlooked in this connection. 

1. There is a slight deviation in doctrine, from the 
straight line of the Scriptures, and also of our article 
on Christian Perfection, by some of the teachers, and a 
few of the leaders in this movement. I here refer to 
the assertion frequently made, that sanctification is in 
no sense gradual ; that it is not attained under a pro- 
cess of growth in grace ; that all spiritual advancement 
between regeneration and entire sanctification has no 
cleansing effect, but is preparatory only to an instantan- 
eous cleansing thereafter. This view has obtained a 
standing from the fact that there exists an opposite ex- 
treme view, viz., that there is no such thing as an entire 
and instantaneous sanctification ; that there is only a 
growth in grace. And, as a matter of fact, this growth is, 
in many cases, no growth at all, but a lukewarm, worldly- 
minded, world-conformed state of Christian profession. 
This latter is a fearfully prevailing fact in the Churches 
with which the holiness movement battles. Now, in 
combatting an error, the opposite truth must be stated 
strongly, and in such conflict it has often been the case 
that some have leaned to even the opposite extreme. 
So here. 



196 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

Rev. J. A. Wood, for instance, in his very excellent 
book, " Perfect Love " — which thousands have read with 
great benefit — goes so far as to define growth in grace 
from this extreme stand-point, as being " the improve- 
ment of the present stock of grace in the heart " (p. 61); 
which would, of course, be no growth in " grace " at 
all, but a growth in graces, viz., the practical improve- 
ment or application of the grace received by faith in 
our Lord Jesus Christ. I could never find in Scripture 
that a believer has at any time " a stock of grace " in 
possession. Saving grace is received by faith from 
Christ, moment by moment, as we need it. The para- 
ble of the vine and the branches illustrates this point 
definitely. Christ is the vine, we are the branches. 
"Abide in me and I in you," says He, "then ye shall 
bring forth much fruit." "Without me ye can do 
nothing." " If a man abide not in me he is cast forth 
as a branch, and is withered" As in nature, so in the 
kingdom of grace there is never a stock on hand in the 
branch : it receives sap continually from the vine ; and, 
hence, as soon as the connection is interrupted it begins 
to wither and die. Again, take Paul's illustration of 
the head and the bod}', or the members. The member 
must continually receive blood and life or it will fail, it 
has no stock on hand. 

One among the many test passages on this point is 
Ephesians 2. 8 : "For by grace are ye saved through 
faith." It is evidently the grace of our Lord Jesus 
Christ that saves y as received by faith. From what 
does it save ? From sin, as we see from the connection 
in this chapter. Now, Peter connects growth in grace 
and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ together 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 197 

(2 Peter 3. 18). Every true Christian knows that true 
knowledge of ourselves and of Christ are vital elements 
of faith, and that the increase of such knowledge also 
increases faith, which results in the reception of a 
larger measure of grace ; and a larger measure of grace 
has again its blessed reflex influence upon knowledge 
and faith. They go together and involve each other, 
and their progress is called "growth" in the Scriptures, 
and it is such in its very nature. And in this growth 
there is a gradual salvation from inbred sin just as fast 
as sin is discovered, faith exercised, and saving grace 
received, for grace saves — it cannot be otherwise. 
And this is the way in which the Holy Ghost leads a 
number of true Christians, yea, some of the ver} T best 
ones. Our article on "Entire Sanctification " in the 
Discipline calls this growth a " gradual change" and 
says that the state of Christian Perfection is "ordinarily 
attained gradually by an upright course of life in 
following the Lamb," and that, " however, this work is 
perfected in the soul, sooner or later, by a sudden and 
powerful influence of grace and outpouring of the 
Divine Spirit." Here, then, we have a gradual sanctifi- 
cation (" change "), perfected by an instantaneous com- 
pletion of the work. This gradual change is in its rapi- 
dity conditioned upon the faithful following of the Lamb 
— as he leads by the Word and the Spirit — the more 
the Word is searched and the Spirit obe}^ed, the sooner 
the work of salvation from all sin will be completed in- 
stantaneously. This is the true principle and doctrine 
as so beautifully formulated in one of Mr. Wesley's con- 
ferences: "When faith begins, then holiness begins, as 
faith increases, /wliness increases, when faith becomes per- 



198 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

feci, holiness is perfect." The reader will see by this 
time that I do no harm to instantaneous sanctification, 
but give to growth in grace that which is scripturally 
and theologically its due. And this is the true plane 
upon which the holiness movement ought to move. 

2. Again, I ought to mention another defect, viz., the 
counting of those who are said to have been sanctified at 
a meeting, and publishing this number in the papers as 
being reliably correct. I find nothing at all in the New 
Testament of such counts. Conversions, it is true, have 
been reported by exact number in the Acts of the 
Apostles. But, then, conversion is a much more out- 
wardly marked transition, and it was especially so in 
the days of the apostles. But in our day, even, this is 
seldom reliable, as there are, alas ! not a few " revivals'" 
made by arrangement, according to order, almost with- 
out repentance and prayer, and much less outward 
change from refined popular sins to righteousness. 

Professions of entire sanctification there may be as 
many as are reported, but how many of them know 
really what the}^ are speaking about ; how many of them 
have had a proper knowledge of the need of full salva- 
tion, and a hungering and thirsting to realize the all- 
cleansing power of Jesus' blood, as had Jacob Albright 
George Miller, John Dreisbach, J. B. Taylor, William 
Carvosso, Hester A. Rogers, Bishop Hamline and thou- 
sands of others whose experience was accordingly deep,, 
durable and reliable ? How many were perhaps only 
revived from a lukewarm state ? How many carried 
along simply by the general stream of blessed influence? 
As things go rather superficially in, our days — by "rapid 
transit " at times, — I can't help feeling misgivings when 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 199 

I read positive statements that so many hundreds have 
been sanctified in such and such a short time, and conse- 
quent conclusions drawn that the work of holiness is 
"progressing wonderfully /" I know that the Holy 
Spirit can and will work powerfully and quickly, when 
and where he is sought as suitably and earnestly 
as did the One Hundred and Twenty, until the day of 
Pentecost came, with its overwhelming showers ; but 
where there has been no such realizing of need, and no 
such earnestness, I feel like placing an interrogation 
point after these reports. Will not the holiness move- 
ment by counting too much and too fast, run out into 
shallow water ? 

THE BRIGHT SIDE. 

The first ray of this " movement," that now shines 
upon my mind, is the general and emphatic revival of 
the doctrine that entire sanctification — in its negative 
aspect — is an "instantaneous" work in contradistinction 
from an imperceptible gradualism in religion, which is 
said to be completed only in, if not by death. Such 
gradualism has proved itself practically, almost without 
exception, to be that " lukewarmness,' ? which is so ex- 
ceedingly distasteful to the Holy One of Israel (Rev. 3 : 
15,-16). It is at the same time usually t conformity to 
and compromise with the world. — There is "death in 
that pot !" — I have, however, wished sometimes that the 
word " distinct " would be used instead of instantaneous ; 
it would better express the exact truth of the work, for 
this experience never takes place literally in an instant 
— an indivisible point of time or a moment — it is often 
progressing an hour, a day, even a week until it becomes 



200 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

clearly accomplished. It is true, faith which takes 
Christ for our sanctification, as he is made unto us of 
God, lays hold upon him as such in an instant, all 
things being equal, but the receiving, and adjusting (if 
you permit this word), and the clear assurance of this 
full indwelling, i. e. the experience, takes more time than 
an instant ; it is, however, a distinct process in conscious- 
ness. Now this fulness and distinctness is also held up 
in our Church Discipline as a glorious object and aim to 
be set before believers as very desirable, and as a great 
inducement and means to a rapid growth in grace, thus 
hastening speedily the experience of the distinct work, 
whereas, on the contrary, stagnation takes place. — The 
" holiness movement" is doing a good and much needed 
work in "insisting" upon this point, if only the proper 
and real gradual work is not overlooked, as our Disci- 
pline so well and wisely combines both. An aimless, in- 
distinct sanctification is not taught in the Bible, but 
there is a " perfecting " {completing in the original) of 
holiness, a becoming " sanctified wholly," a cleansing 
"from all sin," being made "white in the blood of the 
Lamb," most clearly and emphatically taught, prayed 
for, and insisted upon in the Holy Scriptures. Thanks be 
unto God that this is being held up and insisted upon 
strongly and powerfully. The Holy Ghost will sanction 
and seal such doctrine as the truth of God ! 

Another bright ray is the fact that regeneration as the 
work of the Holy Spirit is insisted upon as a prerequisite 
to holiness. As far as my personal acquaintance goes, 
sounder conversions have taken place in connection 
with the work of holiness, than in some highly-extolled 
revivals gotten up by appointment. 



THE VOICE OP THE PRESS. 201 

Again, it is a praiseworthy feature of this " movement " 
that it attacks especially certain features of conformity 
to the world, such as parties, Church fairs, sociables etc., 
etc., gotten up for carnal pleasure, and money-getting 
for church purposes, by pandering to the wishes of the 
world and unconverted members of the Church. (Alas ! 
that there are such in the Church.) These are works of 
the devil, nicely fixed up, and learnedly excused ; and 
in not a few places the work of soul-saving must some- 
times be stopped for the time being, to give place to po- 
lite and refined soul-destroying, by these fleshly inven- 
tions. I am glad that the " holiness movement " wars 
against them. We bid it God-speed, and send our best 
wishes and prayers along ! 

Furthermore, there are some scintillations of light 
visible in the attacks upon the nearty all-prevailing sin 
of conformity to the world in the matter of " pride of 
life," especially in fashionable dress, about which most 
preachers and writers of our day are as silent as death — 
or if they must, perchance, speak of it, it is done in the 
softest w 7 ay possible. However, it would be only good 
if the " movement " would speak oftener and louder on 
this subject — for many, many in the Church are ex- 
changing their souls for a few bits of gilded tin and tin- 
sel, and disposing of their Saviour for a few gew-gaws 
made of silk and cotton ! — Many worship the goddess 
of fashion most devoutly in the house of God, and the 
cock in the pulpit does not even dare to crow at this 
practical denial of the blessed Saviour ! — Against some 
other popular sins its trumpet gives a clear sound which 
is very reassuring. — " Cry aloud and spare not ;" it is 
greatly needed. 



202 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

Another ray of light is the earnestness, fervent prayer 
and spiritual aggressiveness that characterizes the 
"movement." These are excellent features. The Holy 
Spirit does certainly cooperate with those who with one 
accord earnestly call upon the name of the Lord. As 
far as I am acquainted with the " movement," I would 
specialty refer by this remark to the National Holiness 
Association — they are men of much earnest and fervent 
prayer. And I am glad to know that nearly if not quite 
everywhere they insist upon the Biblical, Methodistic r 
Evangelical and appropriate mode of kneeling before 
God in prayer ! 

In connection with this point I ought to mention that 
fasting on special occasions — a practice recognized and 
recommended in our Discipline, as well as in the Bible — 
is duly respected in the "movement," and is another 
item to its credit. 

It deserves very favorable mention, likewise, that the 
grand truth comprised in the word H consecration v — a 
living sacrifice to God — the devotement of spirit, souL 
and bod}^ to the Most High and his service, for time and 
eternity, is emphatically taught and, as I verily believe^ 
largely practiced. 

On the bright side of this movement I reckon also 
that very thing which some have considered its chief 
fault, viz., the adoption and use of public decisive meas- 
ures, such as standing up, raising the right hand, kneel- 
ing down, silent prayer, etc. True the abuse and the 
stereotyped use of such measures is harmful, as I showed 
when writing on the other side of this subject; but a 
proper and judicious use is good, and especially adapted 
to get men out of old worn-out "ruts" into decisive ac- 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 203 

tion Our Saviour ofttimes adopted certain measures 
for a wise end. The man with the withered hand was 
required to "stand forth" in public meeting, and there 
stretch out his withered hand before all the people, and 
upon complying with the request he was healed. The 
blind man was ordered to go to the pool of Siloam and 
wash, and as he went and did so, his sight was given 
him. Lepers were directed to go and show them- 
selves to the priests, and as they obediently went they 
were cleansed, etc. 

Christ often healed without any measures, but also 
very frequently with them. So he often works still. 
Very many sinners have been pardoned and believers 
sanctified by the immediate application through the 
Holy Spirit, of Scripture passages, like : " Behold the 
Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world ;" or ? 
u The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from 
all sin." Often, also, while standing up by request, and 
publicly repeating these or similar words, by which ac- 
tion faith was helped into a lively and decisive exer- 
cise, salvation has been received. The fathers of the 
Evangelical Association did, long before the present 
"movement" commenced, use special measures with 
seekers of entire sanctification, such as standing up 7 
raising the right hand, kneeling at the altar, etc., and it 
very ill becomes a minister of our Church to condemn 
the proper use of them. 

One of the very best measures ushered into quite 
general use, may here be recommended, viz., the express- 
ing or relating of spiritual experience by the adoption 
and repetition of Scripture texts, and stanzas of spiritual 
hymns, by which useless verbiage, irrelevancy, and un- 



204 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

edifying stereotyped sayings, are avoided. By " telling 
experience " in this manner, faith is strengthened, and 
both conviction and edification spread among hearers. 
The use of the Word of God, especially from believers' 
hearts and mouths, is always accompanied with the unc- 
tion of the Holy Ghost, the blessed Inspirer of the 
Word. 

Another very good thing must be noted in this con- 
nection, which is the plain, unadorned preaching of the 
Word of God, aiming directly at the heart of the hearer. 
Oh, that this only true method of preaching might be 
re-adopted by all who have deviated from it ! 

Allow me to dwell finally upon one other important 
point. I refer to the great improvement in the manner 
of holding and conducting camp-meetings. When the 
second National Camp-meeting was held by the National 
Holiness Association, at Manheim, Pa., Rev. R. Dubs, 
then Editor of the Christliche Botschafter, employed the 
now sainted Rev. S. G. Rhoads, as correspondent, to de- 
scribe the meeting in said paper. Bro. Rhoads gave a 
description in detail, of the arrangements of the encamp- 
ment, of the order and manner of public worship and 
religious exercises, of the pointed and powerful preach- 
ing, of the marked results, etc., etc., which placed the 
meeting before our Church like a panorama. About 
that time there was a growing feeling in some parts of 
our Church that camp-meetings had accomplished their 
mission, because in many cases the spirit of picnics be- 
gan to make inroads upon these meetings, and the leaders 
did not see how they could prevent it. The meeting at 
Manheim showed the way. They commenced the day 
with an early prayer meeting, and from that time on con- 






THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 205 

tinued the work almost without intermission until ten 
o'clock in the evening, changing about successively with 
prayer, confession, seeking salvation, testifying, preach- 
ing, exhorting, secret prayer, holding children's meet- 
ings, and other special gatherings, etc., giving no time 
for lounging and loafing, making everything pointed, 
definite, and stirring towards the great end in view, viz., 
salvation through the blood of the Lamb. This had a 
thrilling effect. Other reports from subsequent meet- 
ings intensified it, and the result was a great improve- 
ment in holding and conducting camp-meetings through- 
out the Evangelical Association, and beyond her bor- 
ders. 

And now, in conclusion, I pray God to re-invigorate 
this movement by the powerful operation of the Holy 
Spirit, and lead it still more in this direction, that Christ 
may be all and in all, and every believer be made per- 
fect in him ! 

Among the many leading preachers of the Church, 
who have stood up in defence of special meetings for the 
promotion of holiness, no one has spoken in stronger 
terms than Rev. S. L. Wiest, whose prolific pen greatly 
aided the spread of holiness* during the earlier part of 
the present "movement." Writing in defense of "holi- 
ness meetings," he says : 

There have been objections raised against meetings 
held for the special object of promoting holiness. Some 
seem to rcgard them as of no use, and some look upon 
them as a source of division and strife. 

1 To the latter class I would say that strife and 
divisions never originate in "holiness meetings," hence 
they should not be discontinued on that account. If 



206 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

Satan and evil-disposed persons object to them, it is 
only an evidence that good is being accomplished 
through them. They are no eyesore to men who love 
the Lord Jesus in truth. It is only worldly-minded 
and cold-hearted professors who are afraid that men 
may get too much of the Spirit of Christ. 

2. Is it right to hold meetings of this nature ? Are 
they of any use ? I believe it not only right, but em- 
phatically necessary. I do not think that all who are 
not Christians should be excluded from such meetings, 
because they often result in the conviction and con- 
version of sinners. The same spirit that sanctifies also 
justifies. 

Among believers in the doctrine of holiness it is ad- 
mitted that Christians ought to attain to this state of 
grace as soon as possible after conversion. To gain 
this point they need instruction and encouragement, 
apart from sermons, etc. The duty and privilege of 
being wholly sanctified must be kept constantly before 
the minds of the people, or they will become indif- 
ferent. 

" Holiness meetings" answer this purpose better than 
any other means, It is true, Christians may seek holi- 
ness at home, but they find themselves in the same 
position a sinner does who endeavors to seek pardon at 
home. A public committal for holiness is a sure step 
toward it. 

Experience teaches that ten believers are sanctified 
wholly in " holiness meetings" to one at home. This 
alone is sufficient to establish their propriety and utility. 
Moreover, the proper help and sympathy are always 
found in these meetings, for such as seek this blessing, 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 207 

as well as for those who need advice and encourage- 
ment in the way. 

In 1879 Bishop K. Dubs wrote as follows concerning 
this "movement": 

I may be pardoned for making a few remarks in 
reference to the so-called "holiness movement," which 
was, at least in certain circles, more urged and pushed 
a few years ago than at the present time. I do not 
wish to be understood as though our ministers had not 
urged holiness of heart and life before this latter so- 
called "special holiness movement" became so promi- 
nent before the Churches. Our ministers preached 
earnest self-denial, complete consecration to God, the 
crucifixion of the flesh and the lusts thereof, a complete, 
radical separation from the world, in all its form3 and 
customs, purity of heart and life ; in short, a full and 
entire deliverance from all sin, and a life fully devoted 
to God, and yet I could but rejoice that this doctrine of 
entire sanctification, which is certainly the central idea 
of experimental Christianity and the crowning doctrine 
of our faith, was so strongly presented to the believers, 
and the attainment of that state of grace so pressingly 
urged upon the attention of the Church. All this was 
in accordance with our belief and in the direction of 
the spiritual completion of the individual disciple 
and the Church as a whole. 

It must be evident to every close observer that the 
intensity of that "movement " has materially decreased, 
so much so, that I felt it my duty to endeavor to arouse 
even some of the former and most prominent advocates 
of this cause. I am not ignorant of what has caused, 
at least in part, this "calm." Injudicious leaders en- 



208 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

deavored to enforce measures and methods which pro- 
duced harm, and the ' ; dissonance " between the pro- 
fession and the life of others caused not a few Chris- 
tians to hesitate and refuse to follow the directions 
given. But I know also of men and women who adorn 
this profession with a holy life. We may become too 
cautious, too conservative, too critical, too sober ; hence 
I would say to all my brethren, Let us emphasize with 
all diligence, and enforce with all possible directness 
and unction, a free and full salvation, attainable by all 
believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. We can avoid the 
extravagances, and urge the work, in all soberness of 
the Gospel, with a heart aglow with the power of the 
blood of the Crucified One. Worldliness is pressing 
hard upon the Church, indifference about a faithful dis- 
charge of our religious duties reigns in not a few 
hearts ; more, far more perish on account of this than 
b} 7 being too zealous and too earnest in the service of 
the Divine Master. 

During the same year Bishop Thos. Bowman wrote on 
the same line after this manner : I find it much easier to 
detect errors and point out defects than to suggest a 
more excellent way. Usually, there is much apathy 
in regard to the experience of entire sanctification, 
which has quite properly been termed "the central 
experience of Christianity." There is a lack of plain, 
earnest preaching upon the subject, and at many places 
ihe services are simply a round of pleasant entertain- 
ments without any object in view. The prize of our 
high calling in Christ Jesus is not held up before the 
people as it should be, and there is but little real striv- 
ing after entire heart purity. Even the truth taught so 



THE VOICE OP THE PRESS. 209 

prominently in the Bible and our Discipline, that it is 
the privilege of every believer, long before he dies, to 
attain unto this l central experience of Christianity,' if 
not openly questioned, is nevertheless considerably 
below par, and its advocates are, more or less, to ex- 
press it mildly, opposed. 

It is sad, indeed, that so many connected with the 
holiness movement, have led injudiciously, and have 
frequently, and that quite needlessly, provoked opposi- 
tion. It is as useless as it is impossible to deny these 
facts. They are too prominent, and too well known. 

However, ought not some of us who have not been 
recognized leaders in the movement, who have stood 
aloof — although in full accord with the doctrine to 
which our Church is so fully committed, namely, that 
entire heart purity is attainable in this life — because 
we found it impossible to endorse all the measures 
adopted, come forward and stir up the Church from 
centre to circumference to make renewed efforts to 
attain unto this "central experience"? While some 
have taken a step backward, realizing, probably, that 
they had been a little "wild," might not we, with per- 
fect safety, take a step forward, and, profiting by their 
mistakes, fling to the breeze the banner of full salva- 
tion more strongly, more clearly, more definitely than 
ever, and call upon the people to go up with us and 
possess the land ? Many of our people will soon die, 
and it is evident, as is known to many of our ministers 
and to each one of our Bishops, that they do not enjoy 
complete victory 7 over sin, and are not saved from all- 
evil affections and desires. May not their blood be upon 
us ? Lord, send forth thy light and thy salvation ! 
14 



210 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

THE VOICE OF THE BISHOPS IN 1879. 

It is the experience of the Evangelical Association, 
as well as of other Churches, that the days of her 
greatest prosperity were those in which she gave the 
most attention to holiness. 

This fact is supported by the testimony of the entire 
board of Bishops, as expressed in their Episcopal ad- 
dress to the General Conference at Chicago in 1879. 
The following paragraph is a quotation from the ad- 
dress to which I allude : 

" There is nothing to hinder us from drawing freely 
from the great fountain of truth, the revealed will of 
God, the Holy Scriptures ; nor is there any conceivable 
motive that should influence us to forsake c the form of 
sound words.' All our interests bind us to the plain, 
untrammeled Word of God. This marked freedom of 
belief, together with the conviction, grounded upon a 
living faith, and confirmed by the Holy Spirit, that we 
abide in the truth, should move us to guard with ex- 
ceeding watchfulness against all superficiality in teach- 
ing or experience, or any departure from the pure and 
vdivinely attested doctrines of our Church, especially 
the doctrine of full salvation from all sin through faith 
in the Lord Jesus Christ — from its. condemnation and 
power, in justification and regeneration, and from its 
pollution in entire sanctification, all accomplished by 
the Holy Ghost, who dwells in us to confirm this doc- 
trine, and to clearly assure us of our salvation. This 
doctrine we should teach with all assurance, for it is 
the will of God and the condition of our salvation, as 
Tffell as the seed and nutriment of the Church, which 



THE VOICE OP THE PRESS. 211 

we are to gather and train for Christ, and present to 
him as his elect bride in the beauty of holiness, and it 
is that word of salvation, which the Holy Spirit attests 
in a peculiar manner, as was clearly demonstrated during 
the most successful years in the history of our Church from 
1867 to 1871." — I have italicised this last sentence, 
because of its importance to the point under consider- 
ation. The period referred to by the Bishops (1867- 
1871) as "the most successful years in the history of 
our Church," was a time when there was the greatest 
earnestness and directness in preaching, writing and 
working on the special line of holiness. This is in 
itself a vindication of the "-holiness movement " as it 
was carried on in those years, and it proves the state- 
ment, that " the days of our greatest prosperity were 
those in which we gave the most earnest attention to 
holiness" — to the spreading of experimental and prac- 
tical sanctification. I find this same view further con- 
firmed by reports in our Church periodicals of the 
remarkable success of holiness meetings, held during 
the prosperous period before mentioned. 

In 1871 the editor of our German Monthly — the 
Eva?iyelical Magazine, gave a brief report of such meet- 
ings, which reads thus : Recently we visited several 
camp-meetings on the Chicago District, Illinois Con- 
ference, where we witnessed, not only the conversion of 
sinners, but also saw believers obtain the blessing of 
entire sanctification, and heard them give clear testi- 
mony of this precious grace. We rejoiced most of all 
to hear the clear distinct and joyful profession of a 
dear ministerial brother, with whom we spent our 
youthful .years in the Gospel ministry on new and hard 



212 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

Western fields ; whom we also know to be one of our 
most active and self-sacrificing preachers, having 
served successfully for a number of years as Presiding 
Elder. However, for several years past he could not 
just agree with the so-called holiness movement ; but 
now, having an experience in his own heart, which he 
obtained at one of these meetings (holiness meetings), 
he has come into the light, and is clearly and decidedly 
for the cause, the " movement ; " and, it seems to us, 
also for the so-called new measures. 

This profession made a powerful impression upon 
many. The immediate effects were most blessed, and 
will certainty produce unspeakable results for eternity. 
From this circumstance we are led to the following 
observations : 

1. To the upright God will give light. Whoever 
desires, with all his heart, only that which is well pleas- 
ing to God, will be guided by the Hoty Spirit- into all 
truth, and, consequently to the right point. 

2. In the matter of our saving religion we come into 
the true light and into certainty, only by a heart ex- 
perience. What the clearest mind cannot master 
through the keenest disquisition, is satisfactorily solved 
by the child-like faith of the simple heart that seeks 
after light, purity, and Christ likeness. God gives 
assurance to the heart, and when once the heart is 
assured, when it once rests in the great peace which 
Jesus gives to those who live only in him and for him, 
then will also the head be correct. 

3. Oh, the unspeakable responsibility connected with 
the Gospel ministry ! We often heard the brother 
above named preach powerfully on full deliverance 



THE VOICE OF THE PRESS. 213 

from all sin — a perfect salvation, but we never saw nor 
realized that deep, powerful impression, which was made 
by his testimony, at the close of his sermon. A minister 
may preach full deliverance from all sin through Christ, 
but as long as he has not experienced this deliverance 
himself he is hindered and crippled, no matter how 
earnest he may be. And such a one either does not 
believe from his heart what he teaches, or he does not 
live according to what he believes. He that believes 
in his heart what he teaches, and lives according to his 
belief, will certainly realize the effect of his faith in 
himself. How much more useful such a person can be ! 



214 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 



THE VOICE OF TESTIMONY. 

" YE ARE MY WITNESSES." 

A CHRISTIAN'S experience of salvation and of the 
wonderful ways of God is a treasure which he 
must not hide away where it will neither glorify God, 
nor do others any good ; for Christians are the body 
of Christ and members one of another. "All are 
yours ;" and this "all" includes also every Christian's 
experience. And God does not unfrequently so shape 
one's Christian career that it may become a help to 
others. Job's severe trial was not permitted on his 
account, for God himself testified that there was "none 
like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, 
one that feareth God, and escheweth evil," but he was 
tried so severely that he might be an example of pa- 
tience and of Divine deliverance to all coming genera- 
tions. "Behold we count them happy which endure. 
Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the 
end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender 
mercy'' James 5. 11. Indeed the Bible is full of this 
truth. 

But no one's experience can be a perfect guide to 
another, for God leads differently and " works in us both 
to will and to do according to his good pleasure" Differ- 
ent callings require different leadings. Essentially all 
Christian experience is the same, for it is wrought by 
the same Spirit, who leads all souls to the same Christ, 



THE VOICE OF TESTIMONY. 21 .5 

who is made unto all alike "wisdom, righteousness, 
sanctification and redemption ; ' but circumstantially it- 
differs more or less in all. 

With these well chosen words from the pen of B> 
Yeakel, the reader is introduced to one of the most 
important divisions of this book. In the great 
work of salvation, teaching and testimony must go* 
hand in hand. No theory can be of any value unless 
its truth can be demonstrated. Neither would our 
most exact theological statements or teachings, in 
reference to justification, regeneration, and sanctificar 
tion, be of any value to men if the principles which 
the}' enunciate were never known to enter into individ- 
ual human experience. But, thank God, there ha& 
always been "a cloud of witnesses" to the truth of 
Christ's ability and willingness to save. These are 
they, who, upon hearing "the form of sound words," 
can say. " We know" — we have "tasted and seen" — "the 
Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are 
glad." To a few of these voices our attention is here 
invited. 

EXPERIENCE OF REV. J. P. LEIB. 

/ T V GIS faithful veteran of the old mother conference^ 
who fell asleep in Jesus, Sept. 7, 1875, after nearly 
half a century of successful ministerial work, in the 
Church of his choice, made the following public con- 
fession at a camp-meeting, on Milford circuit, shortly 
before his death : 

"I, John P. Leib, at the age of 72 years, and after 
having served the Lord 51 years, and preached the 
Oc«pel 45 years, confess to-day, openly and in the 



216 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

presence of you all, that I have found remission of 
sins, and redemption in the blood of the Lamb, and 
that I am consecrated to the Lord with all that I am 
and have, for time and eternity ! Amen." 

EXPERIENCE OF SAVILLA KRING. 

'"PHIS talented young sister (now the wife of Rev. C. 
C. Poling), who for several years past has been do- 
ing very effectual evangelistic work in various parts of 
the Church, after being earnestly solicited to give her 
testimony a place among these voices, has written the 
following glowing account of her experience : 

" The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to ever- 
lasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness 
unto children's children." 

This language came very forcibly to my mind, and 
iny full heart was made to overflow with praise to God 
for his manifold kindness to one of the least of his little 
ones, even me, as I was standing in the shadow of a 
tree, near my grandfather's (Rev. John Stall's) old 
homestead, among the mountains of Western Penns}^- 
vania. The green fields along the slope of the Laurel 
Hill were a feast to the eye. From the top of the hill 
might have been seen the blue line of the Alleghanies, 
but for a time these were forgotten, and while the sun 
was kissing the tree-tops, and smiling upon the mead- 
ows, I knelt upon the verdant carpet, and with folded 
hands and heart uplifted, while tears of gratitude freely 
flowed, I listened. The stillness of the early morn 
seemed broken with a voice from the "everlasting 
hills," reechoing the history of early life in the " Evan- 
gelical Association," as experienced by my forefathers, 



THE VOICE OF TESTIMONY. 217 

and repeated to me here when I was but a little child. 
The whispering of the breeze among the branches 
clothed in richest robes of Autumn or never-fading 
green , and the music of the water flowing over the peb- 
bles in the brook, brought back to me the prayers and 
hymns which greeted my ears while with the dearest 
ones on earth I met in family devotion, in earliest days. 
Oh, memory's buds, how fragrant still with Christian 
counsel, and the prayers of parents who taught their 
" little girls" the Bible way of life ! My soul doth 
magnify the Lord, first, for His own most precious love 
which brought salvation near me, and next, for praying, 
Christian parents. 

I cannot remember of a time when I did not love 
God and desire to be a Christian. While I was yet 
quite 3'oung my parents left Pennsylvania and moved 
to Columbiana Co., Ohio, where we lived for nearly two 
years with our much beloved, now sainted Bishop Long. 
During this time, my older sister, Priscilla, now the 
wife of Rev. C. C. Beyrer, of the Indiana Conference, 
was converted. This made a deep impression upon my 
mind, and I determined also to seek '-a new heart." 
Not long after her conversion my parents felt it their 
duty to join my now aged grandparents in their new 
home in Western Ohio. Here we had no church 
privileges, and it was a source of great regret to us all. 
"This will not do," said my grandfather, and so one of 
his barns was set in order, and our ministers, who 
preached occasionally some distance from us, were pre- 
vailed upon to come and hold a meeting. Here, after 
surmounting the difficulties and opposition similar to 
those so familiar to all who have come out from the 



218 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

world and united their interests with Christ, I was most 
gloriously converted, beyond the possibility of a doubt. 
I knew it. The Spirit of God bore witness with my 
spirit that I was "the child of a King." The very 
earth seemed changed. "Old things had passed away, 
and all things had become new." Once " dead," but 
now "alive." Hallelujah! A class was organized, and 
I at once felt it my duty to participate in the various 
services. Not only was I conscious of this being my 
duty, but it was to me a gracious privilege and pleasure. 
I had a burning desire for the salvation of souls. My 
unconverted schoolmates were lying heavily upon my 
heart, and I was frequently impelled to converse with 
them personally upon the subject so dear to me. At 
times, however, I found my natural timidity hindering 
me. Being young in } T ears and experience, I was often 
restrained. I was enabled to pray in their presence, 
and for them, without much embarrassment, but when 
called upon to testify to the goodness of God and his 
manifestations of love to me, an unaccountable trem- 
bling would seize me, and I would stand confused, be- 
wildered, almost speechless. Some time after my con- 
version we removed to the town of Van Wert, close by. 
Here, for the first time in my life, my dear sister and I 
had the privilege of a real church home in the Evan- 
gelical Association. But with new privileges came new 
responsibilities. Sister was elected Sunday-school 
superintendent and class-leader, and I was expected to 
take a prominent part in the work. Praise the Lord ! 
with new responsibilities came "grace sufficient." But, 
much to my sorrow, I was still vexed with a man- 
fearing spirit. I continued at school ; and now I found 



to 



THE VOICE OF TESTIMONY. 219 

within me remains or uprisings of envy, though by 
prayer and faith I was enabled to keep them from being 
exposed to view. It is an undeniable truth that when 
a member of the class would arise to occupy a seat 
above myself it would occasion unpleasantness within 
me. I had not learned "in honor to prefer another." 
Here, again, occurred a marked change in my experi- 
ence. We were again denied the privilege of a church 
home, through circumstances that I need not mention 
here. 

My father being a presiding elder in the Pittsburgh 
Conference, was obliged to be absent from home most 
of the time. Mother was in delicate health, and sister 
Priscilla married and gone to labor in the Lord's vine- 
yard with her husband. May was still very young. 
Everything seemed to have taken a turn. The ma- 
jority of my companions were professing Christians — 
popular and ga}\ There was no end to "innocent 
amusement," and, being naturally of a jovial, fun-lov- 
ing disposition, and always cautious and fearful lest I 
should offend, I found myself wanting to be " with the 
crowd." These thoughts would be presented : " If you 
never compty with their requests, nor accept their invi- 
tations, you will merit their displeasure and drive them 
from 3^ou. Show yourself sociable, retain their friend- 
ship, and win to Jesus those still unsaved. By going 
with them this will be accomplished." Here was re- 
vealed to me a man-pleasing spirit and love of the 
world. Permit me to say, to the glory of God, that all 
this time I never neglected a known duty, or willfully 
committed a wrong act. I had an incessant thirst and 
indescribable longing for more spiritual knowledge and 



220 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

Divine light. My concern for souls was constantly in- 
tensifying. My health now failed, and T was obliged 
to quit my studies. I was employed as teacher in a 
school some distance from our little city. The memo- 
ries of those walks, from my boarding-place to the 
school-house, will ever be among the sweet things of my 
life. The Bible was my "treasure-box." The morning 
was all glorious with the presence of Jesus. " Under 
His wing " I rested at noonday. The night was light 
with the brightness of His countenance. I was happy, 
oh, so happy, all the time, but not just satisfied. Many 
sacred moments swiftly fled as I knelt in a quiet nook, 
with the stars shining above me, or the moon shedding 
her soft, mellow light about me as I whispered, " Thanks, 
dearest Father, for what Thou hast done, and art doing ; 
but oh, for precious Jesus' sake, fill this void. Oh, give 
me something, I know not what it is ; but conscious I 
am that I need a distinct something \" I was frequently 
so filled with the joy of salvation that I did not care 
for the " bread which perisheth," and at times too happy 
to sleep after retiring at night ; and still I wanted that 
u something " 

PRAYING FOR HOLINESS. 

I never had heard a sermon on the doctrine of holi- 
ness, and did not understand it, else I would have 
known what the "something" was for which I was 
praying. Father had often spoken of the efficacy of 
the blood, and of the power of God to save, not only 
from the guilt of sin, but from the love of it as well. 
Sister had tried to explain to me how, by an act of 
faith, the heart is cleansed, and, by a constant trust, kept 



THE VOICE OF TESTIMONY. 221 

clean. Books and periodicals upon the subject graced 
the library, but it still seemed veiled to me. My daily 
prayer was : "Lord, lead me ; teach me !" In the provi- 
dence of God I was now led to the Friend's or Quaker 
church. I cannot describe my feelings, as, from time 
to time, on my return home from my school, I found 
my way to this shining temple. I seemed to have got- 
ten back home to the humble little Evangelical church. 
Testimonies gushing from hearts on fire with the Holy 
Spirit, were burned into my very soul, and the sermons 
I listened to there will be repreached to me while I live 
below ; and, when we all get home, I'll not forget again 
to praise God for those plain Gospel truths. Here let 
me pause one moment in silence to weep and praise. 
Now help me sing, "Praise God from whom ali bless- 
ings flow " — again ; again. 

• One Sabbath morning, after Bro. Barton Jones had 
preached, as usual, one of his searching sermons, an 
opportunity was extended for giving Christian experi- 
ence. One followed another, in quick succession. I 
arose and added mine, and just then a ring, glittering 
on my finger, caught my eye ; and at once 1 Cor. 6. 20 
flashed upon my mind : " For ye are bought with a 
price : therefore glorify God in your body, and in your 
spirit, which are God's." None of the Friends had ever 
said anything to me concerning my attire, but I at once 
decided that I could very well do without my rings, 
flowers, and that showy, "foppish " watch chain, and so 
I laid them off. Here, again, many opposing thoughts 
were presented, such as these : "Better people than you 
are, wear such things. You will look so odd without 
them. Your companions will ridicule you," etc. But I 



222 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

was fully conscious that this matter lay between God 
and Sa villa; and, with a wistful look at these adorn- 
ments, I said : "I know ; but 1 cannot with a clear con- 
science continue them, and I will not." I received a 
blessing right there, but it was not that for which I 
longed. My term of school closed, and I returned 
home, with poorer health than when I left. I thought 
my life's journey nearly ended, and, but for my parents 
and other loved ones, I would have preferred going. I 
had an intense longing to see God, and at times I ear- 
nestly desired to be released from this body, that I might 
know how to worship Him more perfectly. Time's 
swift wings had carried me to November, 1876. The 
Friends were protracting a meeting in their church. 
The first Sabbath morning of the meeting dawned beau- 
tifully, and I went to the house of God with a full 
heart. Oh, memorable day ! In the morning " he tide 
was already very high," and it continued to rise all day. 
In the evening people from every direction gathered in, 
and the house was filled to overflowing. After the ser- 
mon an invitation was given, and penitents pressed to 
the mercy-seat. Being directed to offer encouragement 
to penitents, I knelt down, and, after a few words of 
prayer for the mourner, I again went to the Father, 
saying, "Now please, for dear, dear Jesus' sake, now 
supply my need!" At any cost? Yes, at any cost. 
Then followed a searching time. This body must be 
presented a living sacrifice in a sense vastly beyond the 
power of description. I was in the presence of the 
Most High, sinking lower and lower in humility before 
Him. Every member was being singled out. These 
eyes to see for Jesus. That excluded following with 



THE VOICE OF TESTIMONY. 223 

them the lines of anything like light literature, or will- 
ing looks upon anything that would lead the mind in 
opposition to His will. These ears to be closed to every 
vain or vulgar sound — everything intended to lead this 
mind away from Christ, for the intellect must be wholly 
his. These feet, willingly to walk in paths where the 
Father would have me go. This heart to be His royal 
throne. 

I was growing faint with His loveliness, but I whis- 
pered, " Yes ; yes ; yes." That I was not yet quite con- 
scious of the import of these questions was revealed to 
me when the Master softly asked me, " Will you give 
your tongue to 'tell it all'?" I was startled,,and ex- 
claimed, "Dearest Father, I cannot ' tell it.'" "Will 
you try ?" "Oh, but I am so timid — I am young. If I 
were a man, I'd try ; but I'd be called a » woman 
preacher' or an 'evangelist.' Oh, I cannot; my asso- 
ciates would all leave me. I might have to arise before 
great multitudes. I have not the necessary qualifica- 
tions, and I could not bear the criticisms. I fear public 
opinion. All our people, from the Bishop down, would 
oppose me." It seemed to me I must be dying. I was 
dying to self, and the struggle was severe. "For the 
sake of perishing souls, will } t ou 'tell it'?" Once more 
I faintly whispered, "God helping me, I will I Once 
more — oh, has the end not yet come ? " Your body, 
soul, and spirit; your memory, mind, and will; all 
your days, and all your hours — you have given to God 
to be used b}' Him anywhere, everywhere T " Oh, but I 
cannot leave home! My dear father is far away on 
Zion's walls, Priscilla in the vineyard with her husband : 
I cannot leave my dear mother and little sister May. 



224 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

I'll 'tell it/ only let me Hell it' here." Now Jesus 
stands before me, a halo of glory encircling Him, His 
locks wet with the dews from the rugged mountain,, 
where he sought the wanderer. His face, beaming with 
heavenly radiance, is bruised and stained with tears and 
blood. His hands are extended, and from the wounds 
which the nails have made the crimson drops are falling. 
His feet are bleeding, too, and from his side the blood free- 
ly flows. Now one wounded hand upon his thorn-crowned 
head, the other on his pierced side. One look of loving 
sympathy, one smile so sweetly sad upon me, then on the 
world about me. Oh, see ! Oh, look a little longer I 
Hush ! he speaks — " For thee, for thine, I have suffered 
all this. Will you go and tell it ? " " He that loveth fa- 
ther or mother more than me, is not worthy of me." 
" my adorable Redeemer," exclaimed my heart, " I 
love thee more than all else, by thy grace I will tell it 
anywhere, everywhere!' — 'Tis done — Glory be to the Fa- 
ther I Glory to the Son ! Glory to the Holy Ghost ! — The 
last <f shore line" was cut, and borne upon the billows of 
His love I floated out, out in this boundless, bottomless 
ocean, still farther away from the rocks and sand-bars. 
Yea, I had "crossed the Jordan," I was resting upon 
the bosom of my Saviour, with his arms folded about 
me, and he whispered into my soul, words of heavenly 
love. I was inhaling the fragrance of the flowers, and 
feasting upon the delicious fruits growing near the 
entrance to "Beulah Land. 1 ' The sweetness of heaven 
was flowing over me, and permeating my whole being. 
I cannot tell how long this season of thus communing 
with God continued, but when I again opened my eyes 
to earthly surroundings only "the little company" was 



THE VOICE OF TESTIMONY. 225 

present. Tears fell silently from the eyes of smiling 
ones around me, a "weight of glory" rested upon all. 
A holy hush pervaded the house. All felt it. My own 
soul was too full to speak audibly, but the language was : 
'Tis Holiness ! 'Tis Perfect Love. This is the "some- 
thing," thank God, I have it. Now give me more of it. 
More holiness ! With heartfelt, " Praise the Lord I 
Thank God " ! whispered around me we left the church, 
and I was led home. I retired, and with folded arms, 
and eyes turned heavenw T ard breathed, "At peace, sweet 
peace." The King was swa} 7 ing his scepter through: 
every avenue of my soul. My heart was expanding, 
and everjr moment brought into it more glory. Morn- 
ing came and I arose, and looking about me asked, 
"Where is Savilla" ? How small I was, how absolute- 
ly nothing. How fitting now the words, " I am cruci- 
fied with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but 
Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the 
flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved 
me, and gave himself for me." Oh, can it be ! He loved 
even me. How wonderful ! God, the mighty God, my 
Father ! Jesus, my real personal Saviour, my brother I 
Never before did I so realize my utter nothingness and 
unworthiness. From that moment to this I have 
never had the least desire for the gaieties of the world. 
Since then temptations stronger than ever before have, 
been presented, but never a favorable response from 
mv heart, or an inclination or desire to yield. Trials 
come, it is true, but always "grace sufficient" to praise 
God Tempests have raged without, but the inner 
oa)m remained undisturbed. Opposition ? Yes, but 
• fc ii God 13 for us, who can be against us "? "I know His 
15 



226 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

sheltering wings of love are always o'er me spread." I 
never arise to "tell it" without trembling under the 
weight of my unworthiness and responsibility, but never 
from fear of man, be it in the presence of few or thou- 
sands, of the learned or the illiterate. 

Praise the Lord ! " Perfect Love " casteth out fear. 
I often err in judgment, but of this I am confident, 
* Q The blood o/Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth me from all 
sin" I have been requested to tell my experience, but 
I cannot. It is untellable. Mute with wonder at 
God's goodness to me, prostrate before him I lie. Filled 
with a sense of my unworthiness I hide my face in the 
dust, and glory not save in the Cross of Christ my Justi- 
fier, Jesus my Sanctifier. Again I call upon all within 
me to praise God for granting my desire, and enabling 
me by his grace to count all things but loss for the ex- 
cellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. 

I wa,s justified in May 1868, and wholly sanctified in 
Nov. 1876. 

So help me ever, Father, to "worship the Lord in 
the beauty of holiness." And, unto him that loved us, 
and washed us from our sins in his own blood ; and 
hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Fa- 
ther, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. 
Amen. 

Greensburg, 0. 

EXPERIENCE OF REV. J. BOWERSOX. 

T^ROM the Living Epistle of 1870, I quote the follow- 
ing testimony of Rev. J. Bowersox, who for some 
years past has been a faithful missionary in Oregon. 
He says : — 



THE VOICE OF TESTIMONY. 227 

Jesus has saved me from all the pollution, as well as 
guilt of sin. For his glory I will humbly record it. 

I was converted from the power of sin and Satan 
unto God January 19th, 1860. So wonderful was 
the change, so bright the evidence, that I never could 
doubt it. My very chamber appeared to be illuminated 
with the glory of God, while my tongue 

" Could not express 
The sweet comfort and peace 
Of my soul in its earliest love." 

Soon after, however, I discovered that my heart was 
not entirely pure. I had many severe struggles, but 
hearing old and young tell of similar experiences, I 
concluded that all Christians had to struggle with in- 
ward depravity until, or near unto death. While 1 be- 
lieved that entire sanctification was attainable in this 
life, and aspired to gain all that it is my privilege to 
enjoy, my ideal of it did not rise higher than to seek it 
in a general, indefinite wa} T . I sought it too much by 
works, and therefore did not expect it now. This was 
quite in harmony with the teachings and experience of 
those around me. Their standard, like my own, was 
too low. 

As a minister, I felt increased responsibilities, and 
the great need of a deep-toned piety, in order to be a 
pattern and leader of the flock. I strove to rise higher, 
but, alas ! how often and how long did impurity within 
— which I mistook for temptations from without — 
disturb my peace, and retard my progress. I often 
deeply deplored and mourned over my spiritual barren- 
ness and inefficiency. By searching the Scriptures, 



228 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

and reading sacred biography I found I was not under 
all circumstances what God required me to be, and 
what others, of similar condition, had become by grace. 
Upon strict examination I found much within that was 
not of Christ — self-will, passion, inordinate desires and 
affections — all kept under by grace, but not cast out. 
They often caused me to yield, more or less, while I 
should have remained immovable. Thus my course 
was irregular, and my joys spasmodic. 

I saw that I lived beneath my privilege and duty — 
that I must be " perfect in love," to fill up my measure 
of usefulness, and thus bring more glor}^ to Christ. I 
prayed for heavenly guidance. Light came, and led 
me to the blood that " cleanseth from all sin." A ter- 
rible struggle ensued. I was tempted to quibble and 
criticise. " Perhaps it is all a delusion," said the temp- 
ter, "you are mistaken — you received only a great 
blessing. You will be thought odd and fanatical." 
Thus Satan, by persecution and ridicule, sought to de- 
stroy my confidence. The I {self) died hard. 

Before reaching this point, my soul " groaned " for 
purity, for my conviction of indwelling depravity — - not 
guilt — was as pungent as when I was first awakened. 
And, blessed be God ! in the month of August, 1868, 
while alone in the grove, wrestling with the Lord, con- 
secrating and reconsecrating myself, my entire all, item 
by item, with a view to heart-purity and holiness of 
life, I was enabled to lay hold on the promise, and trust 
Christ by simple, naked faith, when down came the 
power, the blood was applied and my heart washed 
from all pollution. Salvation, like cooling water welled 
up in my soul, and filled my entire being. My peace 



THE VOICE OF TESTIMONY. 229 

was indiscribable — my rest in Christ such as I had 
never before enjoyed. Glory to the Lamb forever and 
ever ! Thus the purification begun in my soul, in re- 
generation, was now complete. 

The tempter's suggestion " not to confess or preach 
it," I soon thwarted by telling others what Christ had 
done for me, and entreating them to seek the same 
grace at once. I soon found I was most blest when 
most specific and definite. 

I now began to live a moment at a time, walking by 
faith, and thus, for nearly a year and a half, I have 
been kept in " perfect peace." Oh, how unworthy of it ! 

I thank God for this baptism of the Spirit. With it 
began a new era in my Christian life. I love the Sav- 
iour more because of it. His Word is more precious 
to me, work for him a greater delight, and my com- 
munion with him sweeter and more constant. My 
peace now abides, and flows like a river. I grew in 
grace before, but since all the " roots of bitterness " are 
gone, my soul is better prepared for rapid development 
of the Christian graces. The soul grows faster in such 
a state. I am not exempt from temptations, but I find 
a vast difference since no depravity remains within to 
give sympathy and support to enemies without. 
W r ould that I had enjoyed this fulness long ago ! I 
am sure my life would have been more useful, my walk 
more exemplary, my conversation more chaste, my 
labors as a pastor more successful in leading sinners to 
Jesus, and Christians to higher degrees in holiness. 
These are sad regrets. Up to the time of my full ac- 
ceptance I know of none that I led into full salvation, 
because I could not speak from experience. I myself 



230 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

knew not the better way. But since then I have seen 
one after another plunge into the fountain, and come 
out gloriously saved. 

Reader, are you pure in heart — entirely so ? If not, 
seek to become so without delay. If you are, then 
join me in ascribing praise unto him that loved me, 
and washed me "from all my sins in his own precious 
blood." 

EXPERIENCE OF REV. H. J. BOWMAN. 
MY CONVERSION. 

A T the age of fourteen, while attending a camp-meet- 
ing on the farm of Joseph Brubaker, in Somerset 
Co., Pa., the Lord brought me under such deep convic- 
tion that I gladly and earnestly set about seeking the 
pardon of my sins. I felt so sin-sick — so burdened in 
my soul, that I was willing to do anything for relief. 
A good kind brother, Rev. Jacob Rank, then our 
pastor, seeing me in the congregation, at once 
discovered my trouble, and kindly invited me to 
the altar of prayer. I did not wait for a second 
invitation, but instantly consented to go. Upon 
rising to my feet I found my whole frame shak- 
ing, so that it was impossible for me to walk without 
assistance ; but being supported by the dear brother 
already mentioned, I reached the " Mourner's Bench" 
all broken up. With cries, and sobs, and tears, I lay 
there before the Lord for several hours, w r hen instantly 
my faith took hold upon Christ, and an indescribably 
sweet sensation of love came into my heart. It thrilled 
my entire being, and I felt as though I could press 



THE VOICE OF TESTIMONY. 231 

all mankind to my bosom if only my arms were long 
enough. This blessed change was wrought in me about 
the middle of June, 1849. After returning home from 
this meeting I at once began a life of prayer — secret 
prayer. But the devil came very near cheating me out 
of my first season of prayer in the closet. I had been 
very careful to select a retired place where I knew no 
person would see, or disturb me, and yet, the instant 
my knees touched the floor, I was tempted to think 
some one was present, staring at me, and before I had 
time to take a second thought I was upon my feet 
again. But it was just for a moment, for I suddenly 
recognized it as a trick of the devil, and at once knelt 
down again and prayed. 

From that day to this I have never given up secret 
prayer, although, I have to regret it, that at times these 
prayers have been entirely too formal and destitute of 
faith. 

But while I was prompt and determined in establish- 
ing the habit of secret prayer, I unfortunately failed at 
the very beginning, in regard to the duty of public 
prayer. I was naturally very timid. Perhaps no boy 
was ever more bashful than I, and so I refused to lead 
in prayer at the first prayer-meeting that I attended 
after my conversion. This gave the enemy some 
advantage over me, and I soon lost the delicious sweet- 
ness of my experience. The result of this neglect was, 
that in a few yearn afterwards I was classed among 
those who w r ere backslidden. Yet, I could hardly con- 
sent to be thus considered, simply because I continued 
to observe my regular hours and places for private 
devotions. But I finally went to the altar of prayer 



232 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

again, with other penitents, and was graciously restored 
to the favor of God. From this time forth I took up 
every Christian duty that presented itself, and found a 
real enjoyment in active Christian work ! Thus I con- 
tinued for about four years, often feeling wonderfully 
blest of the Lord. 

I do not remember ever hearing a definite sermon, in 
those days, on the subject of holiness, but my father 
used to tell of a few persons who had obtained sanc- 
tification. One was a dear aunt, a member of the 
Lutheran church, who, he said, was sanctified at 
the time she was converted ; but which he told me 
was a very unusual thing. The other was a preacher 
(Bro. H. Bucks), who had been on our circuit, and had 
obtained this blessing after a severe struggle, of which 
he used to speak to father. After all there was a great 
deal of good preaching at that time, and by it I was 
led to see that I might and should have a deeper 
religious experience. Just what I needed, or how to 
get it, I did not know, but I hungered and thirsted 
intensely for a richer supply of grace. At last an op- 
portunity was presented which seemed like a special 
visitation from the Lord to lead me into my long 
desired experience, but alas ! alas ! I failed to improve 
it, and was nearly ruined by 

A WRONG DECISION. 

It was during a series of meetings which I attended, 
that the conviction came to my heart, that I should go 
to the altar of prayer and seek "a deeper work of 
grace/' or "a fuller assurance of my acceptance with 
God.' The invitation was to sinners, and when I felt 



THE VOICE OF TESTIMONY. 233 

sis though I should go forward, it was instantly sug- 
gested to my mind that such a step would injure the 
cause of religion. That, inasmuch as I was known to 
be an active Christian, and had been for a number of 
years, it would appear, either as if I had been a hyp- 
ocrite, or had been deceived ; and in either case I 
thought it would only damage the cause. Of course I 
also felt a man-fearing spirit within me, and that no 
doubt caused me to decide upon not going forward. But 
no sooner than I had concluded not to go, the preacher 
said, " If there is any brother or sister here, desiring a 
deeper work of grace, or a brighter evidence of Divine 
acceptance, let such come forward." Again my mind 
passed through the same struggle, and, although I felt 
as if the Lord had caused that call to be made specially 
for me, to my sorrow I again refused ; for my timidity 
led me to follow the devil's reasonings rather than my 
convictions. But oh, such darkness as this brought 
upon my soul ! I left the Church at the close of that 
service with a terribly distressed heart, which for sev- 
eral weeks grew worse and worse. And all this be- 
cause my proud, timid nature shrunk from the thought 
of revealing rny condition to others who might have 
helped me out. For about three weeks I agonized day 
and night, in prayer to God, for deliverance, and at the 
close of that period passed into a state of joyful hope 
and rest, and for a short time had great satisfaction in my 
communings with God. But I soon had the same battle 
to fight over, and with about the same result, only the 
relief came sooner. From this time on I grew in grace 
and became more and more established. But as the 
years passed by I felt that I had sustained a great loss 



234 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

by the wrong decision of that night, when I was so 
deeply moved to consecrate myself anew to God at the 
altar of prayer. 

The thought of this blunder finally became such a 
source of annoyance to me, that I was tempted at times 
to abandon my profession of religion altogether for 
awhile, and then make a better start. 

Meanwhile I had entered the ministry and had the 
pleasure of seeing many precious souls happily con- 
verted through my feeble labors, which it pleased ther 
Lord to make fruitful. To God be all the glory for the 
successes achieved ! 

But, through all these years of labor and fruit- 
gathering, of trial and triumph, with much joy in the- 
Lord, I nevertheless deeply felt that something was 
lacking in my experience, and I t new not how to have 
it supplied after having refused it as I had done. I had 
an intense desire to be as deeply pious as God wanted 
me to be. 

And, whenever I would read the lives of holy men and 
women this desire became still more intensified. I 
remember no book of this kind that contributed more 
to these aspirations of my soul than Rev. James. 
Caughey's "Earnest Christianity. 1 ' 

MY VIEWS OF HOLINESS. 

Concerning the doctrine of Christian Perfection I 
was always in harmony with the statement of it as con- 
tained in our Discipline, and zealously defended it with 
the Scriptures. Gradually I received light which en- 
abled me to discover my imperfect inner life and the 
hinderances which were in the way of my complete 



THE VOICE OF TESTIMONY. 235' 

conformity to Christ, and of my greater usefulness. 
By this increasing light I was also enabled gradually ta 
consecrate myself more fully to God. One point after 
another along the line of consecration seemed to become- 
clear to my mind, so that I was led to yield more and 
more to God. By one peculiar process the Lord led 
me to consecrate my family, by another my body with 
all its powers, by another my mental faculties ; so that 
all my studies should be directed to the glory of God. 
With most intense interest did I watch the special 
efforts that were being made here and there to get 
believers sanctified. This was particularly so with 
reference to the work of Mrs. Phoebe Palmer. I read 
her "Four Years In The Old World." and circulated it 
among the people of my charge, and sought in this: 
way, as well as by my preaching to awaken an interest 
on the subject of holiness. 

Year after } r ear passed oy and sinners were being 
converted, but I knew of no one that I had ever led 
into the light and experience of entire sanctification. 
Finally, while serving in the Iowa Conference as Presid- 
ing Elder, one of the preachers on my district sought 
and obtained this blessing. More than once, that dear 
young brother sought counsel of me. and after telling 
him all I could about it, he was left to wonder where I 
stood in reference to the experience of this grace. But 
he finally outstripped me, and gave me a glowing 
report of the goodly land into which he had entered. 
When he told me that he had obtained the blessing of 
entire sanctification my first thought was, " You poor 
brother, how do you know that the blessing you re- 
ceived is sanctification ? " Afterward I was greatly 



236 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

astonished at having thought thus, because of the 
interest and faith that I had always had in this work. 
But it only proved to me that a true understanding of 
this grace cannot be reached outside of our personal 
experience of it. Our most luminous theories fall far 
below the practical experience of this wonderful change. 
It is rather a strange coincidence that this young 
brother — Rev. W. H. Bucks — should be the son of the 
first preacher that ever professed holiness to my father, 
as before mentioned. 

"DO YOU PROFESS HOLINESS ?" 

It was not long after Bro. Bucks came into the ex- 
perience, when a dear sister on my district became 
greatly concerned about holiness. I had just preached on 
the subject (at a camp-meeting) and urged the believers 
to seek this great blessing, and now this sister was 
hungering and thirsting for it, and this led her to seek 
more definite instruction. Approaching me on the 
€amp ground, she said "Bro. Bowman, I do want the 
blessing of holiness/' — I replied that I was glad to 
hear it. "Well," said she, "do you profess holiness?" 
This was bringing the matter right home to my heart, 
and I replied in all sincerity, " That is a delicate matter 
to profess ; I know that I have advanced in that direc- 
tion but it is a delicate matter to pfofess holiness." 
"Oh," said she, "I do so much desire it ; will you pray 
forme?" I answered affirmatively; and as I turned 
away to walk to my tent something within me said, 
"You promise to pray for an experience in another, 
which you are not sure that you enjoy yourself!" 
Then followed a train of reflections as to what a preach- 



THE VOICE OP TESTIMONY. 237 

er ought to be ; and chief among these reflections was 
the thought that our people have a right to the ben- 
fit of our own experience in regard to those things which 
we teach them, and to which we urge them. They are 
entitled to know how we reached that point in our 
experience ; and if we must inform them that we 
have not reached it, it both humbles us and discourages 
them. 

I have often blessed God for that pointed question 
from Sister E., through which I was so fully convinced 
that preachers owe it to their people to have the experi- 
ence of full salvation, in order that they may be enabled 
to show inquirers the way to its attainment. My con- 
victions and my longings for heart purity were clearer 
and more intense from this on than ever before ; and, it 
was not very long after this that the light I sought 
broke in upon my soul in meridian splendor. It was 
while attending the session of the Board of Publica- 
tion, at Cleveland, 0., in the early part of October, 
1870, that this new epoch in my Christian life began. 
Here (in the Calvary Evangelical Church), for the first 
time in my life I attended a regular "holiness meeting." 
I listened to plain directions given by the leader, Bro. 
J. Young, and was convinced that I had very nearly 
reached the blessed experience for which my soul was 
longing. Yet, I was also convinced that something 
was still lacking. I had no assurance that the work had 
been wrought in me, and I took that as sufficient evi- 
dence that I was not yet entirely sanctified. I so stated 
the matter in that meeting, with the remark, " I believe 
that I have consecrated myself fully, but I have not 
yet had faith enough to believe that the Lord has 



238 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

accepted my offering." This drew the attention of the 
-entire audience toward me, and before I was aware of 
it I was led to where I either had to commit myself as 
a seeker of holiness, or virtually say I did not just then 
want it. It seemed very humiliating for me to commit 
myself in the way I was urged to do it. And, when I 
was about to consent, a voice rang through my ears, 
saying ; " You, a Presiding Elder, from Iowa, get up 
here and ask this congregation to pray that you may be 
entirely sanctified ! " But just at that instant I recog- 
nized that the call was identical with that which, to my 
sorrow I had refused nearly sixteen years before, and feel- 
ing as though it were my last opportunity I sprang to 
nry feet and stood committed as a seeker of perfect love, 
with a request " to be prayed for." Then came a strug- 
gle. The tempter tried to make me feel ashamed of 
what I had done. And, to make my case still more 
perplexing I had promised the pastor, Bro. Sichley, to 
preach that evening, and had already chosen the follow- 
ing text : " But the God of all grace, who hath called 
us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that 3-e 
have suffered awhile, make }^ou perfect, stablish, 
strengthen, settle you." 1 Pet. 5. 10. The difficulty 
which presented itself here was that my text would 
lead me to preach on Christian perfection, and I had 
now exposed myself as one who did not possess what I 
had prepared to preach unto others. 

So I set about the task of finding another text, but 
all my search was vain. The afternoon passed away, 
and the hour for preaching came, but still it seemed 
that from Genesis to Revelation, there was but one text 
for me, and that was the one already chosen. Seeing 



THE VOICE OF TESTIMONY. 239 

that there was no escape from it, I tried, in the name of 
the Lord, to speak of "the call" and "the glory," but 
said as little as possible of "the perfection" mentioned 
in the text, and thus ended that memorable Sabbath- 
day. 

THE FULNESS OBTAINED. 

It was early the next morning (Oct. 10, 1870) when I 
again turned to this text, in a volume of Clarke's com- 
mentary, to see what this learned Divine had to say 
about it. I read — "He will make you perfect" — "put 
you in complete joint, as the timbers of a building," 
when, instantly, a ray of light darted into my mind, 
and I could see that my deliverance was near at hand. 
The view that there opened up to my mental vision was 
so charming that I was anxious to remember it just as 
it came, and so I took a pencil and paper to record my 
passing thoughts. In this state of mind, but without 
the least excitement, I returned to my bed-chamber to 
meditate, to pray, and to receive what I confidently 
believed the Lord was about to bestow upon me. 
Kneeling there I wrote the following out line of my 
reflections on 1 Pet. 5. 10, and of 

MY COMPLETE CONSECRATION. 

"Perfect you." — Bring joint to joint as timbers in a 
building. So my various items of consecration must 
now be brought together into one, that I may be per- 
fected. 

I first learned the principle of general resignation, so 
that I could commit myself and my family to God's 
care without worry. — Alas ! I had nearly forgotten the 



240 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

struggle that brought me this victory. — Then I learned 
to consecrate all my intellectual powers to God. This, 
too, I had almost forgotten. I also learned to con- 
secrate my temporal affairs — my body — all the powers 
of my soul, and my reputation. 

These consecrations were made at different times. 
They have been scattered through a period of years. 
Between the different points my struggles have been 
severe. Now I am summing these all up, and whatever 

is yet unknown to me I now consecrate Jesus is 

helping me to bring these " pieces " together. .... He 

is perfecting me I have now given all to Thee. 

.... I will - - n-o-t take it back. Jesus has accepted 
alii He now fully saves me! Glory to his eternal 
Name ! " 

I have indicated some omissions here which simply 
signif}^ the place of many unwritten struggles which 
came in between these broken sentences. The turn- 
ing point was on the little word not which I have 
written as above to indicate the stubbornness with 
which it consented to be written. It was just at the 
point where I must decide ever after to be known as a 
professor of holiness, and a positive advocate of it as a 
distinct experience, that this little word was to be put 
in for the purpose of "destroying the bridges behind 
me," and with a clear understanding that it meant noth- 
ing less. I would not suffer my hand to write until my 
heart said "not" then, almost involuntarily my hand 
wrote it, and instantly the glory came and filled my 
soul with such rapture as I had never known before. 

As a result of this instantaneous effusion of grace, I 
had such an inward sense of purity and of love as was 



THE VOICE OF TESTIMONY. 241 

perfectly wonderful. A few hours after this mighty 
change was wrought in me, my way led me in company 
with other brethren in the direction of the meeting of 
our Board of Missions, in Canada, and it was arranged 
for us to visit Niagara Falls that day. It was my first 
view of that great wonder of nature, and was a real 
delight to me ; but the grandeur of the roaring cataract 
was nothing in comparison with the well of living 
water that was springing up from my heart, and with 
almost every breath throwing off a silent hallelujah ! " 

" Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abun- 
dantly above all that we ask or think, according to 
the power that worketh within us, unto him be glory in 
the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world 
without end. Amen." 

I have thus given my experience in detail, not as a, 
model, according to which others must expect to be 
brought into this grace, but with the hope that it may 
incite and encourage others to follow the leadings of 
the blessed Spirit until they know that "the God of all 
grace'' has perfected them. 

EXPERIENCE OF REV. W. H. BUCKS. 
MY CONVERSION. 

T EMBRACED religion January 23, 1866. Then I 
experienced that God, for Christ's sake pardoned all 
my sins, and gave me the witness of his Spirit that I 
was his adopted child. 

Soon after my conversion I perceived that there were 
still some roots *of carnality — sinful propensities, ex- 
isting in my heart, and striving for the mastery.' I 
16 



242 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

knew if these evils which were continually warring 
within, were not removed I would not be a fit subject 
for heaven. I occasionally expressed my feelings pub- 
licly, but met with no encouragement. Thus I strug- 
gled on betwixt darkness and light for over a year. 
Then for the first time the Living Epistle appeared, and 
I was aroused anew and encouraged by it to seek a pure 
heart. I wrestled and agonized like Jacob of old, 
resolved not to cease praying until the blessing was 
realized. I consecrated all, laying soul, bod} r and spirit 
upon the altar, and having thus made a full and un- 
conditional surrender to God, I said, Lord, here is the 
sacrifice, accept — consume it. Here a mighty strug- 
gle ensued, but by distrusting self and placing an un- 
yielding faith in God's ability and willingness to save 
to the uttermost I was made to feel the soul-quicken- 
ing and soul-illuminating influences of the Holy Spirit 
poured into my heart, so that I felt " unutterably full 
of glory." 

But before I entered into this blessed experience, I 
found that, like many others, I was seeking to merit it 
instead of receiving it as a free gift. 

Riding out one day in company with Bro. II. J. Bow- 
man, P. E., now editor of the Epistle, I opened my heart 
to him. Finally I said, "Brother Bowman, I have con- 
cluded to go home and not attempt to preach another 
sermon till I am in possession of full salvation." Bro. 
B. had the theory (would to God he had had the experi- 
ence then, as later), and he set me right by saying, 
" Brother, you want to merit or earn holiness, do you 
not ? " That opened my eyes and showed me my error. 
But oh, if Bro. B. had known how I panted after experir 



THE VOICE OF TESTIMONY. 243 

mental instruction. The struggle began to be intense. 
It was life or death with rae. Power I must have or die 
in the attempt to receive it. Thank God, the darkest 
hour was just before the break of day. Light came\ 
rest cam , victory came, pozver came, all in one wave. It 
filled me, surrounded me, penetrated soul, body and 
spirit. I found myself calmly leaning upon the bosom 
of Jesus, like a babe nestling in its mother's bosom. I 
knew not where there was the most glory ; in me, 
around me, above me, or below me. I was in a sea of 
glory. 

Since that time (Aug. 19th, 1869), I have found holi- 
ness to be a power in the pulpit. I must, I cannot 
otherwise, I will not otherwise, than preach a present, 
free, full and uttermost salvation. Jesus cleanses even 
# me ! "I desire to know nothing among men save 
Christ and him crucified." 

EXPERIENCE OF REV. H. F. KLETZING. 

pROFESSOR H. F. Kletzing, whose experience here 
follows, is a member of the Faculty in the North- 
western College, at Naperville, 111. His testimony 
is given as written by himself, a few years ago. He 
says : 

I have much cause to be thankful to the Lord for a 
praying mother. From my first recollections I was 
taught to pray, nor do I know of a time when I did not 
pray in secret, yet I knew nothing of a changed heart, 
experimentally, until I was fourteen years of age. I 
then presented myself at the altar of prayer as a peni- 
tent, and soon found peace in believing. My attention 
was first called to heart-purity by my mother. She was 



244 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

a careful reader of The Guide to Holiness , and, now, when 
past recollections crowd upon my mind, I recall the 
many precious seasons spent in reading to her, or listen- 
ing while she read the Guide. My mind could not 
always grasp the precious thoughts, but it was food for 
mother. She was a firm believer in heart-purity, but 
had not yet attained to the experience. Soon after con- 
version, I realized the need of a more thorough cleans- 
ing, and began to search after truth and light. The 
Bible and the Epistle were the chief sources from which 
I learned that this great salvation was full and free to 
all. I saw it was for me. Each succeeding number of 
the Epistle showed me the way more clearly, and 
increased my desire for the fulness in Christ, for, as I 
received more light, I felt the need of it the more. I 
knew I was a child of God, for I had the witness of the 
Spirit and enjoyed many precious seasons, but still I had 
not complete victory over sin, for I often found roots 
of bitterness, which caused me much anxiety and many 
tears. But what joy the blessed word brought me in 
showing me that there was an all-sufficiency in the 
Blood of Christ to cleanse and purify my poor heart 
and make it " even whiter than snow." Like too many 
others, I longed in vain, not being willing to act. It 
was not my privilege then, to hear many sermons on 
the subject, as it subsequently has been. Too many 
ministers were of the opinion of the brother who 
thought that "it's a delicate thing to handle," and so 
left us hungering and thirsting for what we knew it was 
our privilege to possess. It was not through the teach- 
ing of a minister, but of a class-leader, who was con- 
ducting a series of meetings, that I was first led to act. 



THE VOICE OF TESTIMONY. 245 

I was greatly profited by encouraging words received 
from our presiding elder, now the editor of the Epistle. 
I tried to make myself better, and, failing in this, made, 
as I thought, a complete surrender of all to Christ ; but 
instead of finding rest the agony of my soul increased. 
I soon found by the light of the Spirit that my conse- 
cration was defective. I was still cherishing that in 
my heart which must be given up. Finding no peace, 
and knowing the hindering cause, I y ielded and made a 
full consecration to God. I found it a great help to 
write out my consecration, which included time, talents, 
influence, reputation, memory, mind and everything else 
for which I am held accountable. To write, "Lord, I 
give it all to thee now" was comparatively easy, but, 
after counting the cost, "forever" was added. Doing 
this, I considered myself no longer nry own, but Christ's 
property, to do, be or suffer whatever he might see fit. 
'Twas then that the refining fire came, and the cleans- 
ing blood being applied to my heart, I was saved, won- 
derfully and completely saved through Jesus' blood. 
Although there was spiritual growth prior, and there has 
been subsequent to this "baptism of power," I did not 
grow into this blessed experience, but received it by a 
special act of faith in the cleansing power of the blood. 
I claim no merits of my own, for "I am crucified with 
Christ," and am continually reckoning myself " dead in- 
deed unto sin and alive unto God." I feel myself quite 
safe, just as long as I keep trusting fully in Christ, for I 
very well know that it is ouAy by a momentary act of 
faith in the atoning blood that I am kept. Yes, " kept 
by the power of God through faith." The peace of 
Christ fills my soul, my blessed Saviour is my constant 



246 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

companion, and a sharer with me in all my plans. I 
have realized the truth of the poet's words : 

"The fountain of delight unknown, 
No longer sinks beneath the brim, 

But overflows and pours me down, 
A living and life-giving stream." 

I am peacefully resting and trusting in Jesus, having 
no fears for the future, but leaving all to Him, who 
careth even for the sparrow. I am cheered by the 
thought that, if I trust Him, He will "guide me with 
his eye." When I think of all that the Lord has done 
for me, I feel like praising him with my whole heart ; 
but realizing the wondrous fulness in store for me, and 
knowing that there's " still more to follow," my lips fail 
to express the language of my heart, for it seems amaz- 
ingly wonderful that even I may be a partaker of such 
rich gifts ! Hallelujah ! 

EXPERIENCE OF REV. M. KRUEGER. 

^HE following testimony, to a u personal experience 
of entire sanctification," from the pen of Bro. Krueger, 
a Presiding Elder of the Indiana Conference, was sent to 
the editor of the Epistle, under date of October 18, 1882, 
to be published either in that Monthly, "or where it is 
thought proper to use it." I therefore take the liberty 
to give it a place among these voices, as one of the 
most distinct testimonies concerning this blessed expe- 
rience. Hear what he says : 

I was gloriously converted to God in the month of 
March, 1852, at Newburg, Inch Soon afterward I joined 
the Evangelical Association, where I found an excellent 



THE VOICE OF TESTIMONY. 247 

Church-home. In June, 1856, 1 was licensed to preach, 
and sent to northern Indiana. For man}^ years I felt 
that I should be wholly consecrated to God, but when 
I read the experiences of those who professed to be 
wholly sanctified, I often thought it was rather an easy 
way to obtain this blessing by simple faith in God's 
word, and that they had perhaps backslidden, and were 
now only reclaimed, and had no further blessing than 
Christians usually possess. The work appeared to me 
too superficial to be substantial. 

It was after having listened to some powerful and 
stirring sermons, preached by Bishop J. J. Esher on 
holiness, that I also attempted to preach on this sub- 
ject, but I soon found that I was not very well qualified 
to do so. A good brother, however, who enjoyed the 
blessing, encouraged me to go on, saying, "Your theory 
is correct, only }^ou ought to say that you possess it." 
This I could not do. But I encouraged the people to 
seek the blessing, hoping I might thus receive deeper 
convictions for it in my own heart. 

At last I gave myself wholly to God, to be led by Him, 
according to his will, and to have all sinful lusts and 
desires taken out of my heart, and that I might be 
washed "whiter than snow." I let go of everything, 
and trusted only in this word of the Lord — "The blood 
of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth vie from all sin." I 
said nothing for awhile, but soon realized a sweet and 
abiding rest, peace, and joy, filling my soul. My e}'es 
were bathed — at times even streaming with tears : I 
could not tell why. 

For some time after this, it was a real, holy delight 
for me to preach this doctrine, and definitely urge be- 



248 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

lie vers to seek a clean heart. But after a few years I 
got off the track, in a measure, beeause I thought that 
some of our people did not understand the doctrine, 
while others feared it. was leading to fanaticism. I 
ceased to speak so definitely about sanctification. Thus 
I drifted hack somewhat into the wilderness, and it be- 
came burdensome for me to advocate this hoi}' doctrine. 
But I again examined my heart closely, and anew con- 
secrated my all to God, and now I can say that Jesus 
is my satisfying portion. It was w r hile the people were 
singing : 

"I am so wondrously saved from sin, 
Jesus so sweetly abides within " — 

that my heart, filled with glory, cried out, "Amen ! " 

And, now, for a number of years past, the Lord has 
helped me to walk in this light, and this very moment 
I know that the precious blood cleanseth me from all 
sin. I have had greater trials during these years than 
ever before, but glory to God, his " grace is sufficient !" 
Oh, if I only had received this wonderful blessing before 
I started out in the ministry ; how much more good I 
might have accomplished ! 

EXPERIENCE OF REV. S. DICKOVER. 

HTHE precious experience of this dear brother, with 
whom I have had a long and pleasant acquaintance, 
was published in the Epistle in 1871, in the form of a 
letter which I here give entire : 

Chicago, III., June 14, 1871. 

Dear brother , Last night I returned from 

Deer Grove camp-meeting, and I praise God, that I was 



THE VOICE OP TE8TIMONY. 249 

there. There I experienced that which I shall not for- 
get throughout eternity. Bless the Lord ! Shall I tell 
you what took place ? Twenty years ago when I trav- 
eled on Cedar Creek circuit, I realized something simi- 
lar. Oh. now the Lord did at that time bless me and 
my feeble labors ! During that year over two hundred 
souls were converted, and I lived at the time entirely 
in God, and for God. But, alas, I did not remain in 
that state of grace, though I tried to follow the Lord as 
a minister of the Gospel, and he still blessed my labors. 
Since the Living Epistle has been published, and there 
has been so much preaching on the subject of holiness, 
I have prayed a great deal for the grace of perfect love. 
Yet I criticised the measures which have been adopted, 
very much, and believed that much humbug was con- 
nected with the National camp-meetings, etc. At our 
conference session I believed I had experienced the 
same grace that my brethren confessed as a distinct 
work. I was sincere in my opinions, but bless God that 
I went to this camp-meeting. On Saturday evening I 
obtained a glorious victory. On Sunday afternoon 
bishop J. J. Esher preached an old-fashioned evangeli- 
col sermon, accompanied with such victorious power as 
I have not heard from him since he is bishop, and thus 
one sermon followed the other. Yesterday morning I 
was to preach once more. I went into the woods to 
meditate and pray. Oh, how I felt my poverty and en- 
tire nothingness ! I intended to preach on the prophetic 
office of Christ. There my heart melted. I made an 
-entire surrender to the Great Teacher, and presented to 
him an entire sacrifice. Suddenly a stream of light and 
power came upon me, and penetrated my whole beings 



250 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

so that I trembled and became quite weak in my body. 
Tears of joy coursed down my cheeks. I could scarcely 
reach the camp ground. The brethren had been wait- 
ing and knew not what it meant that I sta}-ed away so 
long ; and when at last I came it was impossible for me 
to preach. I stood up and wept and glorified God. I 
then related my experience as best I could, and encour- 
aged others to seek sanctification. It was enough, the 
Lord himself preached. There is a great fire burning 
in Deer Grove. In the evening I took the cars to go 
home. My heart was so full that I was overcome with 
weeping. At the depot, and on the way home, the peo- 
ple looked at me, and probably thought that one of my 
relatives had died. 

At 7 P. M. I reached home and went straightway in- 
to the praj'er-meeting, and there I could not remain 
silent. I had to tell what the Lord had done for me. 
Then the fire commenced to burn, and such a prayer- 
meeting we have never had since I am in Chicago. 
Dear brother, I can not express my feelings. I could 
scarcely sleep last night, and to-day the divine power 
fills my heart, and tears flow almost continually. 
Hallelujah ! Dear brother, I never knew my Saviour as 
I know him now, and never did I love him so much. 
Oh, how great, rich, and glorious he is ! Oh, what a 
fulness of love and grace is in him ! Bless the Lord 
to all eternity for what he has done for me ! 

I am so blest, chat I cannot praise my Saviour suffi- 
ciently for what he has done for me. 



THE VOICE OF TESTIMONY. 251 

EXPERIENCE OF MRS. LIZZIE YETLEY. 

TN the Winter of 1868 and 1869 my mind was first di- 
rected to the subject of present , personal holiness, 
through the private correspondence of a dear brother wha 
had recently attained to this blessed experience. I at once 
became deeply convicted of the great necessity of seek- 
ing this blessing. I felt it to be a duty as well as a 
privilege to be holy. The method of living as so many 
professed Christians do was not satisfactory to me. I 
availed myself of all the helps that I could obtain, 
without mentioning the subject to any one, save this 
brother. I would take my Bible, get down upon knees, 
and ask God for light and instruction. I derived much 
help, strength, and comfort from this. Oh, how I 
longed for a sermon on holiness ! Up to that time I 
had not heard a definite holiness sermon, had heard no 
one profess the blessing, had never been urged nor 
invited to seek the blessing now. I knew that God was 
a just and consistent Being, and that he would require 
no impossibilities ; that he would not require his people 
to be holy and then leave them to grope their way in 
the dark. I knew that this requirement implied a pro- 
mise, and he was oath-bound to keep it. Neither did I 
doubt his ability or willingness. I consecrated all to 
God, the known and the unknown, all to be the Lord's 
for time and eternity. I prayed, I wrestled, I pruned, 
lopping off this and that branch which 1 felt to be in 
the way. 1 worked hard ; still I did not obtain the 
desire of my heart. Self was in the way. Self dies 
hard. Not until I made an unconditional surrender of 
self to God, and let him do the work, was I blessed. 
But oh, how quickly the work was then done ! 



252 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

It was in the month of August, 1869, while seated 
on a camp-ground, listening to a sermon on holiness, 
that light broke in upon my soul and my faith claimed 
the blessing mine. The time, place, and circumstances 
I shall never forget. My heart cried out : 

"lam Thine, O Christ! 

Henceforth entirely Thine 
And from this glad hour 
New life is mine. 

"No earthly joy can hire 
My quiet soul from Thee 
This deep delight so pure 
Is heaven to me." 

The reader may ask, What was your evidence . 

1. I consecrated all to God, and knew that by his 
grace I had complied with his conditions of salvation. 

2. I believed that the blood of Jesus had power to 
cleanse from all sin, and that it cleansed me ; and faith 
has its own witness. Having consecrated all and be- 
lieved, I knew that I had done so, and to believe other- 
wise would be believing contrary to facts, which in this 
case was impossible ; hence faith had its own evidence. 

3. When I believed, the Holy Spirit applied the blood 
of Christ to my heart, of which I was aware, having 
claimed it, and God's Spirit witnessed with mine that 
the work was done. I knew for myself that I was 
made "whiter than snow." 

Precious experience ! Glorious salvation ! Hallelu- 
jah ! 



THE VOICE OF TESTIMONY. 



253 



CONCLUSION. 

"Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, 
and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and 
walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls." 

Jer. 6. 16. 

The "old paths" and the "good way" in which we 
are to walk have been plainly set before us in this book, 
and over a hundred voices have been heard calling us 
to come and walk therein. It is the way of holiness, 
the only wav that leads to "the rest that remaineth to 
the people of God." To this, every voice that has been 

heard agrees. 

When I say " over a hundred voices, I count over 
thirty t^t have been introduced to the reader personally 
in this book ; then I count sixty-six others who joined 
in a unanimous vote for the General Conference Resolu- 
tions of 1867 ; and, besides these the Discipline, the 
Catechism, and the Hymn-Book, to say nothing of all 
the sainted fathers who adopted the original edition of 
the Discipline with its present holiness teachings ; and 
last but not least, the numerous passages of Scripture 
in which the voice of God is heard directly, all these I 
count as so many voices united to proclaim this one 
central truth of the Bible that only the pure m heart 
shall see God, and that we may and must be made pure m 

this lii€. 

From the Bible and from the church literature, from 
the ministry and from the laity, from the dead and from 
the living, these voices have spoken to us, and they all 
call upon us to secure holiness as a personal experience, 
and also to assist in spreading it all over these lands. 



254 VOICES ON HOLINESS. 

And now my task is done; and as I leave this 
volume in the hands of the reader, I pray that every 
soul that shall ever peruse its pages may hear and heed 
that "still small voice" which wakes the slumbering soul 
to lead it to the purifying waters of the fountain of 
life ; and may we all, with those whose voices have here 
spoken, be permitted finally to sing : " Unto him that 
loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own 
blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God 
and his Father ; to him be glory and dominion forever 
and ever, Amen." 



THE END. 



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